HyperDimension Neptunia: The Young Swordsman
by arceus8888
Summary: Chris MacDuncan is an unusual teenager. He is skilled in sword fighting, but is still in school. One day, someone sends him a game that his friends were talking about, however, little did he know that it was going to become far more realistic than he expected. Rated T for language for now, may go to M if it gets... interesting.
1. Prologue: The Swordsman's Arrival

Prologue: The Swordsman's Arrival

 _"Well, I sure as hell didn't expect this to happen when I woke up this morning…"_ I think to myself as I am falling from the sky after getting knocked off an island that was apparently floating in the sky. I ask myself _"Just how in the world did I get myself into this mess?"_ I think back to just a few hours ago.

* * *

My name is Chris MacDuncan, and I am currently 18 years old. I am- No, was currently in the beginning of my final year of high school. I never did well back in my early years, because of a case of autism I have, called ADHD. They also say I have something called Aspergers syndrome. I never did figure out if those were one and the same, or what. But enough of that, I am a hardcore gamer, so when I have free time, I usually end up gaming, or practicing with my sword whenever I have free time.

Yes, I am a sword-user. I know, it's rather cliché, but I always had a passion for swords, and it was either I train in that or snipers, my other favorite weapon. I always enjoyed the feeling of a good swordfight, which was far better than any feeling I got from a sniper, so I chose that.

Anyways, enough about me. It was at the end of the last day of school before winter break. Me and my friends, Ron and Mike, were walking home. We were talking about what we were going to do during the break. Then Ron had an idea.

Ron:"I just thought of something. Have either of you heard of a game series called HyperDimension Neptunia?"

Mike responds with "Ah, I remember that game series. I played through it myself a couple times. It was rather hard."

I look confused and say "I think I have heard of it, but I never played it myself."

Ron laughs and says "Well, a new one just came out on Steam, called Re;Birth 1. I was thinking we should all buy it and have a little race through it. First one to beat it wins, of course."

Mike says "I'll take that challenge. What about you, Chris?"

"Hmm…" I hum thinking to myself. "I don't know, I was planning on spending time practicing my swordsmanship…"

Ron slaps me on the back and replies "Really? You are better than the entire kendo club, and you are STILL trying to get even better? Come on, man, give it a break, will ya?"

I laugh at this. He wasn't wrong. Recently I had challenged each member of the school's kendo club one by one and managed to beat them all. I did have a hard time with a few, but I still won.

I pat Ron's shoulder and say "Alright, I'll join your race. I do still need to train some to keep my skills toned, though, but I will spend more time with the race."

Ron and Mike both smile at this, and say "I knew you would agree."

We spent a bit more time with small talk, and then went our separate ways to our homes.

* * *

After I arrived at home, I noticed a note from my parents saying that they were going to be gone for a week. I smiled to myself when I realized that meant I had the house to myself for the week. I went over to my computer and started it up. After it was on, Steam auto logged-in and I noticed something odd. Someone had gifted me something, but I didn't recognize the name. I check what the gift was, and laughed when I saw it was the game we were going to race through. I figured it was one of my friends messing with me, so I just accepted it and it started installing. I figured I had a while before it finished, so I went and grabbed my sword, which had a green handle, with a cyan blade and a purple sheath. It is rather oddly colored, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I glanced back at the PC and was surprised to see it was finished installing already.

"What the…" I mutter to myself, as I walk over to the PC. I decide to try loading it up, when a pop-up appears. The pop-up said:

Would you like to put your skills to use to help save people, and protect the weak?

[Yes]

[No]

I paused at this. It seemed a little odd for a game to have a pop-up like this. I decided to just shrug it off and click Yes. The screen went black, and then everything went dark.

"What's going…. On…" I say as I am suddenly by a wave of drowsiness. I try to move, but fall over. As I start to black out, I hear a small voice saying "Thank you, for choosing to help. I promise you won't regret it."

Then I was out like a light.

* * *

While I was out, I felt something weird happening, but as soon as it came, it was gone. As I start to come to, I notice that I was no longer in my room. It seemed to be an island but it also looked like there was a path on the other side. I stood up, noticing that I still had my sword with me. After a quick look around, I realized the island was floating in the sky. I backed away from the edge, just to hear the sound of combat from behind. A quick look revealed it to be four people-girls, I realize after another look- fighting in the middle of the island. The weapons looked futuristic, even if they seemed oversized. The one closest to me was in a black… jumpsuit, I think? She had black and purple wings that seemed to be a part of her, and had long, purple hair that was in two braids. She was using a rather large sword… I think it looks like a futuristic katana. I heard her questioning what the others were talking about, but I couldn't get a good look at them. When I tried to look, they charged at the purple haired girl. I was impressed at their speed. I was unable to keep them in sight with how fast they were going, but I soon realized that the purple haired one was being attacked by all three. She managed to hold them off for a bit, but I was able to tell she wouldn't last much longer.

The moment I noticed that, she was knocked to the ground. Surprisingly, she was able to stand back up, but she looked exhausted. I looked where the other three had been, and saw one of them going for the final blow. On impulse, I charged in, drawing my sword, in an attempt to save the purple-haired girl.

As I ran, I muttered to myself "Why am I even doing this? I don't even know her!" I managed to make it in time and raised my sword to block. Unsurprisingly, everyone was shocked at the new arrival, which allowed me to deflect the attack.

"Don't you think a three on one fight is rather unfair?" I say, as I finally get a good look at the three. One was green haired, with a… very revealing outfit, and was using a spear as her weapon. The one I blocked, who was the most surprised, was white haired, with a black outfit similar to the girl with purple hair, and was also equipped with a sword. The third one had a sky blue hair color, and was wearing what could be called a white full-body swimsuit, and she was using a… ridiculously large axe as her weapon. I take a battle stance just to be safe.

"Who are you, and more importantly, how did you get here?" The white haired one questioned.

"Before you ask someone's name, you really should give your own." I say with a smirk on my face.

"Grr… Why you… How dare you speak to a goddess like that! Fine, I am Black Heart, the CPU of Lastation!" Black Heart seems furious as she says this. Meanwhile, my mind is trying to process this information. Goddess? CPU? Lastation? I shake my head, putting those thoughts away for later. I look up at the other two.

"And you two are? I'll give my name once you two give yours." I say, as I ready myself for a fight.

"Oh? Very well then, I am Green Heart, CPU of Leanbox. The one you just protected is Purple Heart." Green Heart says, with an amused look on her face. I look at the sky-blue haired one expectantly.

"You want my name as well, huh? Fine, the name is White Heart, CPU of Lowee. Not that it matters, considering you are about to die, you arrogant bastard." White Heart says, with a pissed expression on her face. I chuckle, and then look back with determination in my eyes.

"We shall see about that. My name is Chris. Chris MacDuncan. Now then, as to how I am here… Well, that is something I cannot answer." I say, and glance behind me at Purple Heart. She seems to still be exhausted from the fight. She still seemed to be confused, though.

"Why… Why are you helping me? I don't even know you." Purple Heart asks me, which earns a small laugh from me.

"You want the honest truth? I don't like seeing someone with an unfair advantage in a fight, so I chose to help you." I say, and look back at the three. "Are you still able to fight, Purple Heart?"

"I'm a little weak, but I should be able to fight still." She replies, as she moves to my side and enters into a battle stance.

"Well, it's time to start. No hard feelings to whoever wins, alright?" I say, knowing we are most likely outmatched.

"Oh, you're so going down!" Black Heart yells, and with that, the battle begins. Black Heart charges at me, going for an overhead strike. I block, and attempt a side swipe, but she dodges out of the way. I go for an upward slash and manage to catch her by surprise with the attack. I press the attack but she reacts faster than expected and our swords are locked as we try to best one another. There was something odd, though… She had a smile on her face.

"What are you smiling about?" I ask, while trying to push her away.

"Oh, just the fact that the other two just defeated Purple Heart, so now you are all alone." Black Heart says, her grin getting bigger. I glance back in time to see Purple Heart get knocked off the edge and fall down below the clouds. While I am watching this, Black Heart takes advantage of the distraction and puts me on the defensive. _"This is bad"_ I think to myself. _"At this rate, she will-"_ As I think this I suddenly feel the sword in my hand leave, and I watch as it flies off the edge into the world below.

"Well… shit. This isn't good." I said, as Black Heart slashed me across the chest, sending me over towards the edge. The three of them surrounded me as I struggled to stand back up.

"Surrender, Chris! And maybe, we will let you live." Green Heart said, as she pointed her spear at me. Hearing that, I gave a dry chuckle while grasping my wound.

"As tempting as that sounds, I feel that I have better odds another way." I say, and as they prepare to attack, I turn and dive off the edge.

* * *

"Well," I say, while falling still. "Maybe I was better off with them. I doubt I can survive a fall like this…" No doubt, I will either be a big splat of goo on the ground, or will at least have many broken bones. I look where I'm falling and see a huge landmass coming into view.

"Huh… Well, I know I am not in my world, that's for sure…" I say to myself. As I glance around, I notice a lot of forest and- wait, is that a crater? Guess I'm not the only thing impacting lately.

"Well, guess this is it." I say, and I fall through the trees and crash into the ground with a crack.

Everything goes dark.

 **A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this. I know, I had a LOT of details in it, and it might be rather long for the first chapter. I know this, but I just wanted to get the entire intro scene out of the way quickly. I also wanted a few things to be different from what other people have done. One example was the arrival part, since a lot of the fics I have read usually have the character in freefall as soon as he is transported into the world. Anyways, again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I plan to keep this story updated on a somewhat regular basis. Leave a review for any questions you may have, or how you think I could improve this story. I always appreciate it if you do. Also, I have a few pairing ideas in mind, but I don't plan to announce them any time soon. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 1: The Swordsman Awakens

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character Chris MacDuncan, and this story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Swordsman Awakens**

"Hellooo? Is anyone here? Don't tell me… is it a power outage?!" A voice yells. It sounds somewhat cute, and it is coming from a girl. However, it feels almost like its coming from inside my mind, so it feels kind of annoying.

"Would you mind keeping it down?"I ask, which gets a surprised reaction from the voice. "I swear I must be going crazy if I'm talking to a voice in my head…"

"Um… What are you talking about? I'm not in your head, you dummy. After all, how could I be the main character if I was in your head?" the voice replies, sounding a little annoyed. _"Wait… did she just break the fourth wall?"_ I think to myself. I shrug it off for now, it wasn't important.

"So if you are not in my head, would you mind telling me your name, and where we are?" I ask, slightly confused. I try to look to see where the person is, but all I see is black.

"Oh yeah, my name is Neptune, but you can call me Neppy, Nep-Nep, Neptuna, or whatever you feel like!" Neptune responds in a cheerful tone, and then says "I have no idea where we are, but I have a feeling it will advance the story! Anyways, so what's your name, stranger?" she asks, after breaking the fourth wall for the second time. It's odd, but it doesn't matter.

"My name is Chris MacDuncan, but you can call me Chris. Anyways, so we are both here, but have no idea where we are or how we got here? That's strange…" I say, and think about it. However, Neptune surprises me with what she says next.

"I agree with you there, Chrissie! It is very strange." Neptune says, and I hear what sounds like footsteps moving near as she tries to move closer.

"C-c-Chrissie?! N-now look here, Neptune. You can't just call me a name that would be a girl's name! I'm a guy!" I stammer, as she starts laughing at my reaction. Then another voice starts to speak.

"Alright you two, sorry to have kept you waiting. I brought you two here to ask for your help" the voice says. Wait… I've heard that voice before… it was just before I passed out in my world!

"I recognize your voice, but I never did catch your name." I say, trying to sound serious, but failing.

"I am Histoire, a tome. I am surprised that you still remember that I spoke to you once, but that just goes to show I made the right choice of who to ask for help." Histoire says, sounding a little pleased. Neptune makes a sound as if she was annoyed.

"Sooo, Histy, what is it you wanted to ask us? I know that I will be more than happy to help someone who is in need!" Neptune says this, sounding like she couldn't be happier.

"Well, as I said, I am a tome, but I was recently sealed away by an evil sorceress. I need your help to collect the Key Fragments that can free me. Please, I beg you, please search for and retrieve the Key Fragments from each nation. Please… help… save… Gamindustri…" Histoire's voice starts sounding distant as everything starts to get brighter.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice…" I mutter as the world becomes bright.

* * *

"Gah… so… bright…" I think to myself as I slowly open my eyes. After the darkness of… wherever that was, my eyes needed time to adjust to the light. As my eyes start to adjust, I notice that I'm in a room. As I look, I soon realize that it's a girl's room. There are a couple stuffed animals in a few corners, and the curtains are pink with red… dots or hearts all over, I can't tell. I also notice a giant syringe in the corner and wince when I see it. When I look down at myself, I notice two things, the first was that my shirt was gone and I was bandaged up. The second… Well that would be the fact that there was a girl asleep on top of me. The only reason I didn't notice her at first was because of how quiet she was. She is wearing a white and purple sweatshirt, with white D-pad hair accessories in her hair, which was a light purple color. As I slowly process what's going on, she opens her eyes and tries to get up. When she does so, she suddenly stops, realizing someone was under her. As she slowly looks up, I noticed she had purple eyes, which seemed unusual. The moment we made eye contact, though, hell broke loose. The girl yelps and jumps back as I do the same.

"W-w-what do you think you were doing there, buster? Trying to take advantage of me while I slept?" She stammered, but when she spoke, I recognized her voice from when I was out.

"W-wait a minute… Are you Neptune?" I ask, still trying to brush off the shock of what just happened.

"Wait… Chrissie? Huh, so that's what you look like… But that doesn't mean you are getting away with anything!" Neptune's eyes light up when she recognizes my voice, but her voice drips with suspicion still. I facepalm as I try to stand.

"Neptune, I didn't do or try anything. I just came to myself not long before you. If anything, I should be asking you why you were sleeping on top of me!" I say, which surprises her, and right as she was about to respond, the door opens, and another girl enters. She has peach colored hair, with her eyes a similar color, and is wearing a sweatshirt with a short skirt. She also has a collar with a heart on it for some reason… and now that I look, Neptune has a collar on as well. She smiles when she notices us.

"Oh, you're both up. Good afternoon, you sleepyheads." She says with a rather bubbly voice that sounds rather cute. I was the first to process what happened, so I clear my throat before talking.

"Um, hello. I'm guessing this is your room, right? How did I get here?" I ask her, and she giggles and nods.

"Yes, this is my room. Last night, I saw three shooting stars! Two of them were you two; the third was a weirdly colored sword." She says, and as she says that, both me and Neptune relax a little, then she realizes something.

"Wait, so, we fell from the sky?" Neptune asks, seeming confused.

"Yes, the two of you were in the ground when I found you." The girl says cheerfully. "Both of you were out cold, so I pulled you two out and brought you here."

"Wait, so you carried both of us by yourself? I'm surprised to hear that." I say, honestly feeling impressed.

"Yep, see, I'm learning to become a nurse, and moving bodies is a part of training, so it was easy!" She says, with a big smile on her face. Something about her just puts me at ease. "Anyways, my name is Compa. It's nice to meet the two of you!" Compa says, and then looks at us.

"My name is Neptune! Thanks for helping us, Compa. I hope we can be good friends!" Neptune says, looking happier than ever.

"It's nice to meet you Nept-… Nepee-…" Compa keeps trying to say Neptune's name, but is utterly failing. Neptune notices this as well.

"You can call me anything you want, Neptuna, Nep-Nep, Nepper, I don't mind." Neptune says, trying to help Compa. I just manage to hide a smile at this.

"Okay, I'll call you Nep-Nep then! It's nice to meet you!" Compa smiles, and then turns to me. "And what is your name, mister?"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Compa. My name is Chris MacDuncan, but you may call me Chris." I say, with a smile on my face.

"Ah, it's nice to meet you too, Chri-… Chra-… Chre-…" Compa seems to be having a hard time with my name, too. I think of something for her to call me.

"Just… call me Arc. I don't mind." I say, and her face lights up.

"Okay, Arc it is! Again, it's nice to meet you both, Nep-Nep, Arc." Compa says, and then looks at Neptune. "Oh, I just noticed that you're bruised all over. Let me take a look to see what I can do." Compa says to her.

"Huh, I am kinda scraped up. I feel like I was in a fight… Strange…" Neptune says, frowning for a moment, then smiles again and says "Oh well, must be my imagination!" Compa then looks at me.

"Arc, would you mind stepping out for a little? I already treated you, so you're fine. Your shirt is on the door, so you can take it on your way out." Compa says, which confuses me for a moment, but then realize why she said that, so I nod and walk to the door.

"Let me know when it is safe for me to come back in." I say as I grab and put my shirt back on. Compa nods and I walk out and close the door behind me. Through the door though, I hear something that makes me blush slightly.

"Alright, let's get those clothes off you!" I hear Compa's muffled voice say.

"Wait, why do I need to go nude? I don't need to be more powerful!" Neptune's voice says, which gets a sigh from Compa.

"I can't bandage you with your clothes on. No need to be shy now." She says, and with that, I walk away from the door, to not hear anymore.

* * *

A little later Compa let me back in, and it looked like Neptune was exhausted. I was confused for a moment, and then she sighed.

"That was close… I almost entered the light…" Neptune says, which causes me to laugh a little. Compa smiles and looks at Neptune.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad… I only made the wrap a bit too tight." Compa says, which explains what Neptune meant. "Anywho, why did you two fall from the sky?" She asks, and Neptune frowns.

"I… don't know… I don't remember anything before I woke up other than Chrissie's voice…" Neptune says, and Compa's eyes light up.

"Nep-Nep, you might be suffering from amnesia." Compa says, which surprises me, since I wasn't expecting that to be a possible cause.

"Maybe… I'm not sure… What about you, Chrissie?" Neptune says as she turns to look at me.

"I remember waking up on an island, defending someone from three opponents, watching her get knocked off into the clouds, and then my sword followed, and then I jumped to escape. I never once saw you anywhere, Neptune." I say, recounting what I remember. Neptune just smiles, shrugging off everything she could be worried about.

"Well, I guess that's it, then." She says, surprisingly cheerful.

"I wish I could help, but I don't think there is anything to cure amnesia…" Compa says, looking disappointed. Neptune notices this, and smiles brightly at Compa.

"Oh, don't worry, Compa. It's not that bad." Neptune says, but Compa still looks unsure.

"But…" she starts, but is cut off by the sound of someone's stomach growling. Both me and Compa turn and look at Neptune, who is smiling rather sheepishly.

"Um… So, I am feeling rather hungry, so, uh… Do you have any food I could eat?" Neptune asks, scratching her head. I let out a laugh, and so does Neptune and Compa.

"Well, I don't have much, but how about some pudding?" Compa asks, which confuses Neptune.

"Pudding? What's that?" She asks, which earns another laugh.

"Pudding is kind of like a soft, gooey but solid dessert that can have many different tastes. I have a feeling that you will like it, Neptune." I say, with a smile on my face. Neptune seems to accept my answer, and asks Compa for one, which she happily brings some over for all three of us. We thank her as we accept ours, and I notice it's similar to the pudding from my world.

"Hm… So this is pudding? Wow, it jiggles when you touch it!" Neptune says with an amazed look on her face. Compa has a worried look on her face.

"Nep-Nep, did you forget about food as well?" She asks.

"It would appear that she has, but that should come back quickly." I say, as I start eating the pudding I have. It surprises me that it tastes better than anything I've eaten from my world. I look at Neptune and say "Try it, it's actually far better than anything I've ever eaten from where I come from."

"Nepu… Alright, here goes!" She says as she takes a bite. Her eyes go wide and start sparkling as she says "The tantalizing sweetness melts away on my tongue! This is the best!" I just stare at her for a moment after that.

"Really…?" Compa says with a very happy look on her face as I shake my head.

"I did not expect her to go all descriptive on us." I say, and chuckle a little.

"Really! This has to have been made by the greatest chef in the world!" Neptune exclaims, as she stands on the couch. Huh, didn't notice that until now… Weird… Neptune continues talking "Where can I get more of this?!" Compa looks bashful, and then looks at Neptune.

"Actually, I made it myself. I'm glad to hear you both like it so much, though!" She says, which causes Neptune to look at her in shock, as I just feel more impressed.

"Amazing… Compa, you are a genius…" Neptune says, which seems to embarrass Compa.

"Oh, stop it, Nep-Nep. Here, I'll go get more." She says as she stands up and walks back to the kitchen, while Neptune cheers.

* * *

After a lot of pudding, Neptune finally seems to be satisfied.

"Your homemade pudding was amazing Compa!" Neptune says, looking like she was at peace.

"I'm really happy you liked it. Anyways, what are you two going to do now?" Compa asks, and as she does, I start trying to think of what to do next.

"Well, I don't know about Chrissie, but I want to know what happened, so I'll go back to where I was found." Neptune says, which actually sounds like a good idea.

"I think I'd like to do the same, though, again, I request you stop calling me Chrissie, Neptune. I'll accept you calling me Chris or Arc, but not Chrissie." I say, looking slightly annoyed about that nickname. Neptune just smiles at that. I get the feeling she isn't going to stop…

"Ah! I can take the two of you there!" Compa says, which surprises both of us.

"Are you sure, Compa? I don't want us to be a bother." I say, which prompts her to smile and nod. I smile, and say "Alright then, the more the merrier, if you ask me." Then I remember something she said earlier. "Oh, that oddly colored sword, did you bring it here, too?" I ask, hoping she will say yes.

"No, I couldn't get it out of the ground. It was stuck as if it were Excalibur." Compa replies with a frown. I shrug, and smile.

"Don't worry about it; I'll try to get it back when we go there." I say, which causes her to smile again.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let head out, group! Neptune and friends, go!" Neptune says as she runs outside.

* * *

"Neptune, why are you digging through the dumpster?" I ask, watching as she throws garbage out.

"Oh, just scavenging, nothing to be worried about!" Neptune replies, and then with a "Aha!" she pulls a wooden sword out of the dumpster.

"Really? Just… *sigh* Well, I guess it's better than nothing. Come on, let's go, Neptune." I say, while I wonder exactly just what I got myself into.

"Alright, follow me, you two. We are going to the Virtua Forest." Compa says as we head out of the main city.

* * *

 **A/N: Phew! Chapter One is finished! When I wrote the Prologue, I wasn't expecting much. But it seems that you guys enjoyed the prologue, and I enjoyed writing it, but the positive feedback I got made me really happy. Again, the chapter was rather long, but that's how people like it. Please feel free to review and give advice. I always appreciate constructive criticism. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you all in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2: Reclamation of the Sword

**A/N: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character Chris MacDuncan, and this story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Reclamation of the Sword**

"So, I guess this is where we were elegantly lodged into the ground, right?" Neptune asked as we entered the forest. Some reason, she decided to run ahead at one point, which caused me and Compa to have to attempt to catch up.

"Not quite, Nep-Nep. It was a bit farther into the forest." Compa said, but is seems like she was leaving something out.

"What's the problem with that, Compa?" I ask, slightly confused. She looked at me worriedly.

"There are monsters all over now…" Compa says, and as I look, I notice what looks like a blue slime with a dog face that's bouncing around without a purpose. Honestly, I think it looks adorable.

"Compa, is that dog-slime thing over there a monster?" I ask while pointing at it. She looks over at where I am pointing.

"Yep, that is one. The part I find odd is that they weren't here when I was here last time…" She replies sadly. It's a shame, I would have loved to have had one of those as a pet. Hmm… Maybe they can tame monsters? Might as well ask…

"Hey, Compa, is it possible to tame a monster like that one?" I ask her, she thinks for a moment, and shrugs.

"I don't know. I've never heard of anyone doing so, but that doesn't mean it can't happen." She replies, which raises my hopes about it.

"Nepu! Are you two forgetting about me, the loveable main character?" Neptune suddenly says, surprising the two of us as we look at her. "So, the world has monsters all over it like a normal RPG, right?" She asks, and Compa shakes her head no.

"They actually just came out of nowhere the last few years. No one has found out where from or why though" Compa says while frowning. Neptune just shrugs at that.

"Eh, okay then. Let's just go and get some XP while we are here!" Neptune shouts, causing me to grimace. "Great… XP grinding… my favorite part of RPGs…" I think to myself.

"Nep-Nep seems to be excited." Compa mentions, and I nod my head in agreement. Neptune just laughs at this.

"I am the heroine after all, right? So I gotta beat up some monsters." She says cheerfully. I just shrug and prepare myself for combat. I may not be an expert in unarmed combat, but I know enough to protect myself at least. Neptune draws her wooden sword that she got from the dumpster. Huh, now that I think about it, it was rather smart of her to go dumpster diving for a weapon. Compa… wait… Where the hell did she pull that syringe from!? You know what, I won't ask. Neptune seems surprised as well, but she decides against asking.

"Well, let's fight that thing… What are they called?" I ask Compa, who replies with "They are called Dogoos, and they are the weakest of the monsters." I nod and we all charge the two that are in sight. Neptune uses her sword to slash them while Compa just stabs them with syringe. When any of them get too close to me, I tried to give them a couple punches and a kick. Tried being because I would get my hand stuck usually after the second punch, which got rather annoying. Currently, the two of them are pulling their own weight, which has me a little bothered since I am struggling due to not having a weapon. Even so, we manage to push through them rather easily.

"Alright, Compa, Chrissie, let's keep moving!" Neptune cheers, calling me the name I asked her to stop calling me once again.

* * *

Several monsters and minutes later, I'm following the two of them a little ways from behind. We all seem to growing stronger though this dungeon. I'm about to move to catch up to the two of them when I suddenly feel something pulling my pants leg. I look down to see a dogoo pulling on it. I was about to kick it away when it looked up at me with the most adorable puppy look I have ever seen. I think for a moment. _"Maybe… just maybe…"_ I think as I reach down to pet it. I expected my hand to go into it but instead I could actually rub its head. It was rather smooth but it actually felt like it had fur, which surprised me. It seemed to be enjoying the attention, especially when I scratched behind its ears. I was surprised when a box popped up in front of me though. The box read as follows:

 ** _"The Dogoo has taken a liking to you. Would you like to befriend the Dogoo?"_**

[Yes]

[No]

When I saw this, I smiled and tapped the yes button. When I did, the Dogoo's color changed from blue to green. Another box popped up saying "Insert name for the befriended Dogoo."

I thought for a moment, and inserted a name into the box.

[Faolan]

I hit the OK button and Faolan the Dogoo barked happily. I smiled at him.

"Alright, Faolan, let's catch up to those two." I say, which Faolan responds with a bark, and hops onto my shoulder. I then run to catch up to Neptune and Compa.

* * *

When they first saw Faolan, they were surprised. They got over it rather quickly though. We soon arrived in a clearing with two craters and a sword sticking up handle first in the ground.

"We're here! This is where I found the two of you." Compa says happily as we just gawk at the size of the craters.

"Wow… Those are some big holes here…" Neptune decided to state the obvious.

"Nep-Nep, do you remember anything after seeing this?" Compa asks Neptune, who seems to be deep in thought. Compa asks "Nep-Nep? Are you okay?" Neptune starts making noises and then shouts.

"Aw man! I can't remember a dang thing! Compa, are you sure I landed here?" Neptune asks, sounding upset. Compa just nods her head.

"Yes, both of you fell from the skies and landed right here" She says, which makes Neptune a little more upset. As they continue talking, I walk towards the sword in the ground. Faolan is still sitting on my shoulder while I walk towards it. As I examine it, I discover that the sword is indeed the one that was knocked out my hands back on that island. I grab the handle of the sword and attempt to pull it out of the ground. It seems to be wedged into the ground really well. I grab the handle with both hands and keep trying to pull the blade out of the earth. I got so distracted that I didn't notice the ground start to crack. Suddenly, my sword comes out of the ground, and I smile and whisper to myself "It's been too long, _Rakari._ Welcome back." I smile to myself, but then hear Neptune talking.

"Wait, look at the ground! It's cracking!" She yells, and as I look down, the ground below us gives in.

"Aw crap, not again!" I shout as I fall.

"Eeek!" I hear Compa shout.

"Nepu! Why does this happen to us?!" Neptune questions loudly as we fall. As I open my mouth to scream, a small rock flies into my mouth and I start choking. I attempt to cough it up, but when hit a bump on the way down…

It was forced down my throat.

* * *

 **A/N: And that concludes chapter two! I bet you guys are surprised to see a double upload for my second day. As you can tell, I took a page out of another fic and had Chris tame/befriend a Dogoo. I plan to have it fight alongside Chris, kind of similar to a Pokemon, but not really one. The name Faolan is a small reference to the book series Wolves of the Beyond, which was written by Katheryn Lasky. Also, yeah, the ground caving in for no real reason in the game never really did make sense to me, so I decided to have Chris retrieving his sword to be the cause of it. And when it comes to the small rock… Well, I'll just let you guys try to figure out what it was. Anyways, as usual, feel free to review the story or message me telling me how I did, what I could do to improve it, and what you think is going to happen next. Thanks so much for reading, and I will see you in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 3: A Surprise Twist!

**A/N: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character Chris MacDuncan, and this story.**

* * *

Chapter 3: A Surprise Twist?!

"Ugh… This is just not my week…" I mutter as I come to, but as I attempt to stand, I notice my hand is glowing… No, wait, my entire body is! Right as I start to panic, the glow stops and my body is back to normal. I just stare for a moment, trying to process what just happened. Then I remember about Neptune and Compa and quickly look around for them. I notice them on the ground a little ways away, so I run towards them.

"Neptune! Compa! Are you two alright?" I ask, almost yelling, as I reach where they are. Neptune is the first to stir, and when she sits up and looks around.

"Nepu… Why is it always falling?" Neptune asks, looking slightly upset. "Hey, Chrissie, any idea where we are?" She asks as she looks around.

"You really just are not going to stop calling me that name, are you?" I ask, and she responds by smiling and shaking her head no. "Ah, fine, I'll deal with it for now. As for where we are, I have no clue… I know it's a cave, but this cave is far more beautiful than any of the ones I've seen back home." I say, and I mean it. There are crystals coming out from all over the place, and the natural formation of the cave is unusual. Neptune smiles and laughs at that.

"Yeah, I have to agree with you there." She says, and then the two of us notice Compa coming to. Neptune says "Compa, are you alright?" Compa nods as she sits up, and shakes her head.

"Oww… Arc, next time, give us a warning before you pull a sword out of the ground, okay?" Compa says, and I scratch my head with a sheepish look on my face after hearing that.

"Yeaaah… Sorry about that. I got a little carried away. The ground got back at me by forcing a rock down my throat though. It wasn't big, but it was defiantly uncomfortable." I say, giving a small smile.

"Anyways, so thanks to Chrissie, we are now under the forest, I think… Hey, what's this?" Neptune says as she picks something up off the ground. It looks like a piece of something, but with the other parts missing, I can't tell what it is. "Compa, do you know what this is?" Neptune asks, while showing it to Compa.

"Hmm… I've never seen anything like this before, sorry Nep-Nep." Compa says, and when they turn to ask me, I shake my head no. While they debate on what it could be, I suddenly remember about Faolan. I let out a high-pitched whistle, and a bark responds as Faolan bounces towards me with my sword held in his mouth. I accept the sword back, scratch behind his ears a little, and sheath the sword. Immediately after I do so, a loud roar echos, so I spin to see whats going on.

"Alright, who triggered the event flag?" Neptune complains as a large monster approaches. It… looks to be a cross between a spider and something else, but it's wielding a large sword. It is obviously more powerful than the other enemies we have fought in the forest.

"What in the world is that thing?!" I shout as we all back away. Unfortunatly, it managed to grab Compa before we could get to a safe distance.

"Eeeek! H-Help me Nep-Nep, Arc!" She screams to us. While I try to come up with an idea, Neptune is yelling about how Compa is being- damn it, Neptune…

"Neptune, what are you talking about?" I ask her, as she just scratches her head and laughs.

"Oh, you know, just fan service stuff." She says, resulting in me facepalming again. "Come on, Chrissie, let's teach this thing a lesson!" She yells as she charges at the creature. I follow in close as I draw my sword. I have Faolan sit this fight out since I don't want to risk losing him. We attack the creature, but it seems as if our weapons have no effect on it.

"It would seem that the two of you are having some trouble." A voice speaks out, surprising both me and Neptune.

"Wait, is that you, Histoire?" I ask, hoping the voice can hear me. A light giggle seems to confirm that she can.

"Yes, I'm sorry about surprising you; there really wasn't a good moment for me to speak up." Histoire replies, when suddenly Neptune's eyes light up in joy.

"Hey, Histy, do you think you would be able to help us?" Neptune asks, earning a sigh from Histoire.

"I cannot help you, unfortunately, but if you could activate your Hard Drive Divinity, you should be able to handle it." Histoire replies, but only manages to confuse the both of us.

"Um, Histoire, Neptune here lost her memory, so I think she will need your help doing whatever that is…" I say, looking concerned.

"I see, that explains a lot, actually. Alright, I will force run Hard Drive Divinity from you, Neptune. Are you ready?" Histoire asks, to which Neptune nods. Suddenly, a bright flash of light bursts from Neptune. It would seem that this caught even the monster off guard. When the light fades, where Neptune had been stood none other than…

"Purple Heart…?" I whisper in surprise. Did Neptune just transform into Purple Heart? From the look on her face, she seems to be just as confused as I am.

"This is Neptune's true form. Now you should be able to defeat that monster." Histoire says, but as she says this, my arm starts to glow.

"Alright, why does my body keep trying to glow? It's really starting to freak me out!" I say, which gets Histoire's attention. After a moment, she lets out a gasp.

"There is a stone inside you… but it's one that shouldn't exist in this world!" Histoire informs me, which just makes me even more worried.

"So, is it going to kill me, or is it safe?" I ask, slightly scared. Histoire stops talking for a moment, then she responds.

"It seems as if your body has adapted to respond positively with it, so you are safe. In fact, it seems that it currently is increasing your natural strength. You should have new abilities you never knew of now." She says, sounding a little surprised. I concentrate, focusing to see if I can discover the new abilities. Images flash through my head of new possible attacks and I grin, and then frown when a thought occurs. _"While these may be useful, could Rakari survive me using these…?"_ I think to myself, then shake my head and think _"Of course Rakari can! It was able to handle Black Heart's sword, so I'm sure it can handle these!"_ I draw _Rakari_ from its sheathe once again, but notice that the usual cyan blade was now a goldish color. Before I can question it though, Compa yells out.

"Nep-Nep, Arc, please, help me!" She screams, and I remember what was going on. I look at Purple Heart, noticing she just remembered about Compa as well.

"So Neptune, shall we deal with this thing?" I ask her, which she responds with a nod. "Alright, let's save Compa!" I shout, and I charge at the monster. It swings its huge sword at me, but Purple Heart blocks it. She then charges at it with blinding speed, building up an attack.

 _ **"Cross Combination!"**_ Purple Heart shouts as she unleashes several sword strikes. I find it weird that she shouted her attack when… wait…"Maybe that's what I need to do!" I think, and focus on one of the new abilities. _Rakari'_ s blade changes from the gold color back to cyan, and water forms around it as it glows.

 _ **"Divine Aqua Blade!"** _ I shout as I slash the monster five times. The monster lets out a roar of pain as it uses its sword to knock both of us away. I look at it, and notice that it's going after Purple Heart! I focus on another ability, and the blade changes color to be a lighter blue and starts pulsing with its glow, electricity forming around the blade.

 _ **"This divine lightning shall pierce the skies! Rakari's Fury!"**_ I shout as a bolt of lightning strikes _Rakari_ , and I charge at the monster, hitting it with a flurry of strikes, and ending with cutting off the arm that's holding Compa. The monster is hit by a bolt of lightning after the arm was severed. It gives off an unsettling scream as it turns and flees. I look back at where Purple Heart was, and noticed that she had changed back to Neptune, who is helping Compa out of the severed hand. I smile, when a powerful wave of exhaustion hits me.

"Thank you for saving me, Nep-Nep. You too, Arc!" Compa says cheerfully, then notices me swaying where I am standing. "Um, Arc? Are you okay?" She asks, looking worried.

"I'll be fine… Though I get the feeling I'll need you two to help get me out of here…" I say with a low laugh, and then I collapse.

"Arc!" "Chrissie!" I hear them shout as my vision fades to black.

* * *

"Chris, can you hear me?" A voice asks, and as I concentrate, I realize it's Histoire's voice.

"Yeah, ugh… Yeah, I hear you, Histoire." I reply, not even bothering to try to look for her.

"Good, I was worried when you just passed out in that cave. You ended up using too much energy, but you managed to save both Compa and Neptune. For that, I thank you." She says, sounding relieved. I feel happy to know people were worried about me. But I have a feeling she needed to talk to me about something.

"I'm glad to know someone was worried about me. I get the feeling that wasn't the reason you decided to talk to me, though." I say, feeling a smile form on my face.

"That is correct; I have a few things I want to talk to you about. The first of which is Neptune's identity." Histoire says, which causes me to frown.

"Go on…" I reply.

"As you could see, Neptune is also Purple Heart. What you do not know is that she is the CPU of Planeptune, the nation you are currently in. However, due to her memory loss, she does not know this, therefor, I request that you do not tell her who she really is." Histoire says, surprising me.

"But… Why would you-" I start to ask, but she cuts me off.

"If Neptune were to learn that she was actually the goddess of the nation, it would force massive pressure on her. With how she is right now, she could possibly crack under the pressure, and I know none of us want that." Histoire says sadly, and as much as I want to argue, I know she is right.

"Alright, I understand. I won't tell her." I say, and I hear Histoire sigh in relief.

"Thank you for that. The next two things involve each other in a way. The object that Neptune found in that cave is a Key Fragment, one of many that are needed to lift the seal on me." Histoire explains, and I can't help but let out a small laugh.

"So that's what they look like! That should make it a little easier to find them." I say, earning a giggle from Histoire.

"I probably could have described them last time, sorry about that. However, I do have another request, one that you could do while hunting the fragments. That request would be for you to attempt to befriend the CPUs of the other nations. You have already become decent friends with Neptune, which would leave the three you fought on Celestia." Histoire says, and I can't help but feel somewhat awkward.

"Two things," I say, "First, what is Celestia? Second, I'll try to befriend them, but I'm slightly scared of what will happen if I visit Black Heart… After all, we didn't exactly have a great first meeting." I say, scratching my head. Histoire laughs a little at my awkwardness.

"Yes, I was able to see that meeting. Don't hold it against her, that's just how Lady Black Heart usually is. As for your question, Celestia is an inbetween neutral land. Only the goddesses ever visit there, and lately it has been their battleground for fighting the Console Wars. Why you woke up there is beyond me, but it was probably for the best." Histoire explains, making me feel reassured. So I have to travel with Neptune to find the Key Fragments and befriend the other goddesses… Well, this is more excitement than I ever would have had in my own world.

"Alright then, Histoire, I will do as you request. I will search for the Key Fragments and attempt to befriend the CPUs. Is there anything else you wanted to say?" I ask as an afterthought, but it seemed to be right.

"Yes. The last thing I want to talk about is the stone you swallowed by accident. It seems that as you train more, it helps you grow stronger than you usually would. It seems that it has also adapted your sword to change blades bases on the element of your attack, for example, the cyan blade has the water affinity, and red has the fire affinity, and so on. Though I believe the light blue blade that pulses is the sword's true form." Histoire explains, but before I can interrupt, she continues talking. "Anyways, there seems to be something else it is doing, but I cannot figure out what it is at the moment. It may be revealed later, but for now, it seems that it will aid you greatly on your journey." She says, and I can't help but smile due to the fact that she found this information for my sake.

"Thank you, Histoire, it means a lot to me that you care. So, I guess it's time for me to wake up, right?" I say, and I look around, still seeing black.

"Indeed, Neptune and Compa are worried sick about you." She says, and as everything starts getting brighter, her voice starts to fade as I hear her say something. "Also, beware… of the wit… named Arfoi…" and before she finishes talking her voice fades away and everything is bright again.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's it for Chapter 3! Things ended up getting intense with the fight against the Guard Vermin, (Yes, I know, Chris and everyone else don't know that's what it is, but I don't care, most of you should know that's what it was.) and Neptune is revealed to be Purple Heart! Dun dun duuuuun! In all seriousness, though, it would seem Chris is being empowered by that stone that was forced down his throat. I know I kinda BSed it there, but I figured it was the best way to get it to work. What the stone is shall remain a secret for now, but I will give a hint. There are two possibilities to what it could be. Anyways, Faolan didn't get much screen time this chapter, but come on, a dogoo vs a guard vermin? That's a very unfair match-up. As you could tell, Rakari's blade changes color depending on the element of the attack Chris uses. That effect changes the element of the sword itself, as well. For those who don't know, the line "This Divine Lightning shall pierce the skies!", the name Rakari, and its pulsing light blue form are from the ROM hack of Fire Emblem called The Last Promise. It was always a sword that I really liked, even if I was never able to use it. Anyways, that's enough for this chapter. Please feel free to leave a review about what you think about the story so far, and also any advice to make it better. Also, PM me if you want to make a prediction on what will happen next, or what the stone possibly is. Thank you so much for reading, and for the positive feedback. I will see you all again in the next Chapter!**


	5. Chapter 4:The Swordsman's Transformation

**A/N: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character Chris MacDuncan, and this story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Swordsman's Transformation?!**

As I open my eyes, I slowly realize that I'm back in Compa's room. I look around and notice Faolan sleeping on the ground, as well as Neptune sitting in a chair with her head on the bed next to me, fast asleep. I smile, and reach my hand out and rub Neptune's head softly.

"Heh, I have to admit, she sure is adorable when she is asleep." I say quietly, but right after I say that, she grunts and opens her eyes. As she sits up and rubs her eyes she notices that I'm awake.

"Oh, good morning, Chrissie… Wait, Chrissie?!" She shouts as she fully registers that I'm awake, and then she leaps at me. "Chrissie! You're awake! Are you alright?" She asks, as she gives me a bodyslam/hug cross.

"Oomph! H-Hey, careful, Neptune, I don't want to pass out again." I say to her as I smile. "And don't worry, I'm fine. I just used up too much energy apparently, and then had a long talk with Histoire." I rub her head a little, before she climbs off of me. She looks at me with a frown on her face.

"Nepu… Chrissie, you need to be more careful. When you passed out, me and Compa started to freak out. You ended up worrying us to death. You don't want to make two cute girls cry because you ended up risking your life, now do you?" She says and winks at me. I blush and stammer out incomprehensible sentences, causing her to laugh. At that moment, Compa walks into the room.

"I'm baaack, Nep-Nep! How is Arc do-" She stops as she sees me looking at her. I wave at her, and she runs over and hugs me. "ARC! You're awake! Thank goodness, we were so worried about you!" She yells, and I smile as I rub her head.

"Sorry I worried you two… You have no idea how happy it makes me to know you both care about me." I say, as Compa lets go of me and smiles. "So, did I miss anything important?" I ask them.

"Well, we talked to Histy, who told me that the thing I found was one of the Key Fragments to release her seal. She said that if we could free her, she would be able to restore my memory! Isn't that great?" Neptune says, surprising me.

"She already told me that it was a Key Fragment, but she never said anything about restoring your memory to me, Neptune." I say as I get out of the bed and scratch my head. "Yep, also, me and Compa visited the Guild, and learned that the cave we fell in is a newly discovered dungeon!" Neptune says, which makes me give her a confused look.

"What do you mean when you say "Guild"?" I ask them.

"The Guild is a place where we can accept quests to be able to help the goddesses gather shares, which are their main source of power. We also get cool new items when we complete a quest!" Compa replies, looking pretty happy. "We picked up a quest while there that was requesting a team to go into the cave to check on the monsters inside it. Me and Nep-Nep were going to go alone since you were out, but now that you are awake, we can all go in and work together!" She says, and I grin at her.

"Alright, I guess we are going back into the cave! Maybe we will be able to finish off that monster that attacked us last time." I say, and Neptune jumps up.

"Allllrighty then! It's time for Neptune and her band of friends to go on an adventure!" Neptune shouts, and with that, we leave the room to head towards the cave.

* * *

Before we leave the city, we go to the shop and buy a few items that might help us later on. Neptune decides to buy a new sword to replace the wooden one she got from the dumpster. After the shopping trip, we start to make our way to the cave. On the way there, Neptune catches up to me.

"Hey Chrissie! I've been wondering, how did you manage to tame the dogoo?" She asks me, and I chuckle and look at Faolan, who is on my shoulder.

"I'll be honest, I really don't know. When we were in the forest, I was trying to catch up to you and Compa, when I felt something tugging on my pants leg. I looked down and saw this little guy holding it. I was about to knock him away, but he looked up at me with adorable puppy-dog eyes. I decided to try to pet him, and I was actually able to. After a little of me petting him, a box popped up asking if I wanted to befriend him. I tapped yes and then inserted a name. He changed to be green after that, and that's how it happened." I recount everything that happened between me and Faolan in that forest. Neptune is watching me, listening intently.

"Wow, maybe I should try befriending Dogoos before fighting them." Neptune says after listening to my story. I laugh a little, and she smiles.

"Maybe… But I don't think that all Dogoos are friendly or able to be tamed like Faolan here." I said as I scratch Faolan behind the ears. "Anyways, we should hurry up; I think we are almost there." I say to Neptune, who nods.

"Right! Let's go, Chrissie!" She shouts, and we run to catch up to Compa.

* * *

After we arrive in the cave, we ended up being ambushed by several enemies. We managed to defeat each one of them, but there were a lot of enemies still here. Luckily we have not seen the monster that we encountered last time. As we progress deeper, the cave grows darker the further we go.

"Nepu… It's getting darker in here." Neptune says, stating the obvious again.

"Nep-Nep, Arc, where did you go? I can't see either of you!" Compa says, and I turn around to help guide her. As I do so, I hear Neptune shout as she bumps into something. As me and Compa catch up to Neptune, I notice a girl sitting on the ground, apparently from having bumped into Neptune. She has brown hair and green eyes, and is wearing a blue coat over what looks like a black one-piece outfit, and a green leaf ornament in her hair. She looks at Neptune in annoyance.

"Hey, watch where you're going, girl! Wait, why are kids like you down here?" The girl asks, and looks up to see me and Compa. "Are these your kids?" She asks as she points at me, and I sigh in response.

"Do I really look like I'm old enough to have two kids of their age?" I ask her, and she looks like she was about to say something, but thought against it. Neptune wasn't very happy though.

"I'm a kid? Why don't you look who's talking! You're a kid yourself, after all. Who are you, anyways?" Neptune says while pointing at the girl.

"I'm IF. I'm known as the Wind Walker of Gamindustri!" IF introduces herself, but Neptune looks confused though. "What's wrong?" She asks, and Neptune frowns.

"Did you say that you're the Wild Talker?" Neptune asks, which earns a facepalm from both me and IF.

"Wind Walker. I travel between the nations while working for the Guild." IF says, sounding a little annoyed. "Anyways, why are you people here?" She asks, looking at each of us.

"Well, funny enough, we are here on quest for the Guild ourselves. My name is Chris MacDuncan, and this little guy on my shoulder is Faolan. It's a pleasure to meet you, IF." I say, introducing myself and pointing at Faolan.

"Heya! My name is Neptune, and she's Compa. It's nice to meet you!" Neptune says as she introduces herself and Compa, who smiles and waves.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Compa says. IF frowns for a moment.

"Are you serious? The three of you are working for the Guild as well? I mean, Chris I can understand, but you two I can't." IF says as she looks at Neptune and Compa.

"Believe it or not, they are actually stronger than they look. They even outlast me in fights, but that's most likely because I didn't get my sword back until recently." I tell IF, who looks skeptical still.

"Are you sure? Because there are a lot of monsters roaming around here." IF says, which causes me to laugh a little.

"Don't worry; I'm sure we can handle it." I say, when a loud roar comes from somewhere nearby.

"Oh no, not again! That monster is probably looking for us!" Neptune says, looking slightly scared. IF looks at her worriedly.

"Wait, you three know what that is?" She asks, to which I nod.

"Yeah, we managed to hurt it enough that it fled, but I guess it's still rather angry…" I say, to which IF just sighs.

"While I can't believe it, I am going to have to ask for you three to help." IF says, and Neptune gulps.

"Well, I guess I should get serious now, so it's time for me to transform!" Neptune shouts, and a pillar of light engulfs her, and when it fades, Purple Heart stands ready to fight.

"Alright, we should be ready now!" Purple Heart says, and IF just stares in shock.

"No time to explain, IF, just prepare to fight!" I say as I draw _Rakari_ from its sheath. "Faolan, I want you to go wait near those rocks." I tell him, and he responds with a bark and hops over to the rocks. The huge monster we fought before appears from a tunnel off the path. Its arm has grown back, and it looks stronger than before.

"Alright, let's do this!" I shout, and all four of us charge at the monster. It swipes it's sword at us, knocking IF and Compa back, but they get up quickly and charge again.

"Take this! **Cross Combination!** " Purple Heart yells as she unleashes her special attack, hitting the monster several times.

"We're not done yet! **Demon Flames!** " IF shouts as explosions go off under the monster, and then a cylinder of fire surrounds it for a moment before vanishing, leaving the monster burned and roaring in pain.

"You're not getting away that easily! **ShadowDarkness Blade!** " I shout, the blade of _Rakari_ turning pitch black as it surrounds itself in dark shadows, and I slice into the monster several times, before stabbing it and jumping away. Purple Heart moves next to me.

"This thing is stronger than before, why don't we try a combination attack?" Purple Heart asks, and I nod.

"Let's do this." I say, and the two of us start walking towards it. The monster swings its sword at us, but we dodge it.

 _"This is the end for you! **Elemental Rampage!** " "We won't lose! **Elemental Rampage!** "_ We both shout as we charge, _Rakari's_ blade looks similar to a rainbow as it crackles with elemental energy, and Purple Heart's sword crackles with energy as well, and the two of us attack with such speed that all the monster can do is scream in agony. After we finished slashing it, the elemental energy takes affect and create a tornado of elemental energy around the monster, and its roars stop abruptly as it shatters and dies.

"Hey… We did it! We beat it!" Purple Heart cheers, and reverts back to Neptune.

"Yeah, we did… That was a tough fight, though." I say as I sheath _Rakari_. Faolan bounces over to me and hops back on my shoulder.

"I'll be honest, if it weren't for the three of you, I probably would be dead, so thank you." IF says as she scratches the back of her head in embarrassment.

"So, IF, what do you plan to do now?" Neptune asks, surprising her.

"Well, honestly, I'm planning to keep exploring deeper into this cave." IF says as an idea pops into my head.

"If that's the case, why don't you join us for now? We have better odds of survival if we work together, and honestly, I would feel terrible if we parted ways and something happened to you." I say. IF seems to be thinking about that idea for a little, then she nods.

"Normally, I would decline, but after that monster, not to mention the two of you fighting it, I think I will take you up on your offer." IF says, and she smiles for the first time since we ran into her.

"Yay! We have a new party member now! Now that we are working together, I'm going to call you Iffy." Neptune says, which makes IF recoil in shock.

"Ooh! Ooh! Then I will call you Iffy as well." Compa says, which makes IF recoil again.

"Okay, I honestly can't tell if you are doing this to make fun of my name, or just to give me a nickname." IF says. I tap her shoulder to get her attention, and she turns to face me.

"Trust me, you'll get used to it. I still can't convince Neptune to stop calling me Chrissie, so I know what it's like." I say to IF, who struggles to hold in her laughter.

"She… pfft… She calls you Chrissie?! That's hilarious!" IF then just lets out her laughter.

"Good to see you don't always play the tough girl…" I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Come on, I have a feeling we aren't even at the half way point of this cave yet." I call to the group as I start moving on. Everyone quickly follows behind when they see me walking away.

* * *

As we progressed farther into the cave, I noticed how the monsters seem to be getting weirder and weirder. I shrug it off though as we clear out several more monsters. As we are walking, I hear something odd underfoot. A quick look reveals it to be a CD. I pick it up, curious about it.

"Hey, IF, do you have any idea what this is?" I ask as I show her the disk.

"It looks like a normal CD… Where did you find this?" She asks as she examines it.

"Honestly, I just stepped on it, and heard something different and picked it up." I said simply, and then notice the disc glowing. "Uh, IF? Why is it glowing?" I ask her, who seems to be as confused as I am, if not more confused.

"I… I have no idea! I've never seen anything like this!" IF shouts, getting the attention of Neptune and Compa. When they come to see what's going on, the disc pulses and monsters suddenly appear, surrounding us.

"What the Nep?! Did that CD just spawn these monsters?" Neptune asks, and I shrug as I draw _Rakari_.

"I don't know, but let's clear them out and then destroy the disc to be safe." I say as I charge a group of monsters. They look like the ones we have faced already, so this shouldn't take long.

* * *

As I thought, we were able to take out the monsters quickly. Before the disc could spawn anything new, I snapped it into two pieces.

"How come no one ever said anything about monsters spawning from discs?" Neptune asks, still looking surprised.

"No one has ever discovered where the monsters are coming from, which means we just made a rather huge discovery." IF explains, barely containing her excitement.

"Well, if that's the case, then we should go report this to the Guild." I say, and the other three agree with me. As we start to leave, however, a rather sinister sounding laughter echoes around us.

"I came here for my Guard, but it would seem fate brought you here to me, Neptune!" A voice says, causing Neptune to turn around to look for the source.

"Who said that? Also, what's with that old, stereotypical evil laugh…?" Neptune asks, earning an annoyed scoff from the voice.

"Who are you calling old?! You're the same as usual, with the way you mock people." The voice says as the person who owns it steps out of the shadows. While she looks to be older than I am, I wouldn't say that she was an old lady. She has a lavender hair color with red eyes, and… the only way I could describe her outfit is that it looks like a witch's outfit. Her skin is strangely pale, though…

"Friend of yours, Neptune?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"No way. I don't know any old lady like her." Neptune says, oblivious to the fact that she is goading the witch lady to attack.

"That's good to hear. I was worried that you had a poor choice of friends." Compa says, earning a facepalm from me.

"Yeah. If she were one of your friends, I would've left already." IF says, causing me to groan.

"Are you three trying to get us killed? Why do you keep insulting her?" I ask, but they ignore me.

"So who are you, anyways, missus?" Neptune asks, and that question seemed to be the one that made her snap.

"How dare you speak of me like that! I'll enjoy crushing all of you!" The lady shouts, and charges at us. We attempt to defend ourselves, but her attacks are just too strong. We are all knocked to the ground quickly.

"No fair! An early stage boss shouldn't be this strong!" Neptune shouts, as I just look at her.

"Well maybe if the three of you hadn't insulted her, we wouldn't be in this mess." I say, as the witch lady laughs again.

"That'll teach you to insult someone! Now, I'll be taking the Key Fragment back." She says as she snatches it from Neptune.

"Hey! We worked hard to find that, give it back!" Neptune yells, but the witch lady just slaps her.

"Silence, fool! Now, it's time to take your power from you, Neptune!" The witch lady says as a purple aura starts to glow her hands. _"Oh no, Neptune! Ugh, there has to be something I can do… Maybe the stone inside me can help…"_ I think to myself and concentrate on the stone, when it suddenly starts to shine from inside me. I feel… empowered. The witch lady notices the light shining from me and looks in shock.

"Impossible… You shouldn't have this kind of power!" She shouts as I rise to my feet, energy crackling around me. I stare at the witch lady, eyes glowing.

"You hurt me. You hurt my friends. You steal the Key Fragment. And then you have the gall to try to take Neptune's power? I don't think so…" I say, and at that the light from inside me glows brightly, and a flash of light envelopes me. My sea green hair turns to a dark sage color, my eyes change from their normal blue and green to red and purple, and my normal blue shirt and brown pants become a white coat with gold trims, and a black shirt with white pants. _Rakari_ itself transforms, its handle gold and the blade becomes jagged, like a lightning bolt, and glows light blue. As the light fades, all four of them are staring at me in shock.

"Whoa, Chrissie! I didn't know you could transform as well!" Neptune says, looking amazed. IF and Compa are too shocked for words.

"Impossible… You're not a goddess! You shouldn't have this power!" The witch shouts, and flinches at the glare I give her.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I do have this power. You hurt my friends, and now you shall pay the price!" I shout, my voice sounding deeper than usual. Behind me, wings start to form, shining green and yellow. I charge, flying at the witch at high speeds. I attack with _Rakari_ , but she blocks it with her spear. We keep attacking and blocking each other, but it becomes obvious that she is having a hard time keeping up with me.

"You shouldn't even be here! Just who the hell are you?!" The witch yells as she thrusts her spear at me. I grin and sidestep out of the way, while grabbing the shaft of the weapon.

"My true name is Chris MacDuncan, and as it would seem you have figured out, I am not from this world. However, you shall know me as the Swordsman!" I reply, and knock her spear away with _Rakari_.

"No matter, I'll just take your powers as well!" The witch says, as the purple aura surrounds her hands again. Noticing this and realizing she has left herself wide open, I grin, and hold _Rakari_ above my head, pointing at the ceiling of the cave.

 ** _"Oh Rakari, blade of the elements that dominate this world, I call upon thee to bring forth your true power with this strike."_** I chant, and as I do, lightning strikes the blade, setting it ablaze, and the flame is surrounded in ice as the air around it freezes, and the ice seems to draw in energy from the darkness around us, as well as the light from the lightning, causing the ice to turn half pitch black, and half blinding white. The witch unleashes what looks like a purple beam at me from her hands, possibly the energy from that purple aura that surrounded her hands.

"Your power shall be mine!" She shouts, and then blinks as I dash out of the way of her attack and charge at her.

 _"And so it ends! **Rakari, blade of the elements, show them the error of their ways, punish them for harming those close to me, and end the war with this last strike! Blade of the Elements, show your power!** **Rakari's Calamity!** "_ I shout, and slash the witch seven times, each strike that impacts taking one of the surrounding elements away from around the blade, light, dark, ice, water, wind, fire, and finishing with lightning. The witch screams in pain as she is knocked to the ground. As she looks up at me, she sees my sword aimed at her. Neptune approaches from behind me.

"Alright, lady, I want to know everything you know about me!" Neptune says, pointing at the witch.

"What are you talking about? You and your crazy personality, I swear…" The witch replies, looking a little confused.

"Neptune here has lost her memory, so if you wish to keep breathing, I suggest you answer truthfully." I say, but flinch as the witch starts laughing.

"Neptune? Lose her memory? This is amazing! Here, you can have this Key Fragment back, for now. Now, I shall take my leave, as I have a lot to plan for." The witch says, throwing the Key Fragment at me. As I catch it, she causes a flash of light, and when it dissipates, she is no longer there.

"Damn, I have a feeling that she will be a thorn in our sides for a long time…" I say, and my body shines as it reverts back to normal. I sheath _Rakari_ as Faolan jumps back onto my shoulder. Neptune looks at me worriedly.

"Chrissie… What-" She starts, but I cut her off.

"I'll answer your questions later, Neptune. Right now, I feel like I could pass out at any moment, so I think we should head back to Compa's place and rest. Ask me afterwards." I say, and Neptune nods, but still looks worried. I look at Compa and IF. "Is that alright with you two?" I ask them, and they both nod.

"Okay Arc! Let's head back to my home." Compa says cheerfully.

"I guess it would be better for me to stay with the three of you, so I'll come too." IF says, which causes both Neptune and Compa to smile. I just chuckle and shake my head.

"Well, let's get out of here. Lead the way, Neptune." I say, and she nods and leads us out of the dungeon.

* * *

 **A/N: Holy crap, this chapter is finally done! I honestly expected to have this done yesterday in time for another double upload, but I was determined to get the Arfoire encounter into this chapter. And le gasp! Chris transformed like a CPU! If that doesn't narrow down what the stone is, I don't know what will. I should have mentioned this last chapter, but due to Histoire having brought Chris into the world of Gamindustri, they have a mental connection where whenever he is asleep or unconscious, he can communicate with Histoire, and she is able to give Chris information to help him. Also, Elemental Rampage is Purple Heart's and Chris's EXE Drive attack, if you couldn't tell. In case you were wondering, Faolan is fighting with Chris against the normal monsters, and you will eventually see him in action. Also, the CPU form of _Rakari_ is actually the design as I remember from The Last Promise, so I owe credit to people who made that hack. Chris's CPU form is actually based slightly off of Robin's tactician outfit from Fire Emblem: Awakening and Super Smash Bros, just with the colors altered and instead of purple markings, the coat has glowing gold marking, which as of now have no meaning. This may change later, however. Anyways, I know Chris seems to be too OP right now, but don't worry, I have a way to balance out the problem. Now then, next time our cast will be heading to Lastation, where our favorite tsundere goddess resides, and Chris will be questioned by his party members about his abilities and his origins! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and if you feel like it, please leave a review telling me your thoughts and also any advice to make the story better, because really, where would we be if no one ever gave us constructive criticism. Also, PM me if you want to make any predictions about the story, or any theories about the stone, or even predict the pairings if you so wish. I may not tell you depending on what you ask, however, so don't be disappointed if I don't. Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you all again in the next chapter.**

 **P.S.: I will be leaving the description of Chris, such as his appearance, height, backstory, etc., in my profile information, so if you want to know, feel free to take a look.**


	6. Chapter 5: Origins and a Journey

**A/N: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character Chris MacDuncan, and this story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Origins of the Swordsman, and a Journey to Lastation?!**

Almost as soon as we arrived at Compa's home, I ended up passing out on the couch as soon as I lied down on it. When I entered the realm of dreams, I heard Histoire's voice call out to me.

"Chris, can you hear me? Please answer me!" She says, earning a groan from me.

"Yeah, I hear you, Histoire. I'm guessing you have something to tell me since I'm here again. I'll have a few questions myself anyways, so I guess it's a good thing." I reply, to which Histoire giggles a little at.

"Actually, due to the fact that I was the one who brought you to this world, a mental link was formed between us, so as long as I am sealed, I can communicate with you when you are sleeping or unconscious, though I prefer the latter of the two doesn't happen. In anycase, I have a couple of things to discuss with you, the first of all being the stone inside you and your transformation." Histoire says, which catches my attention.

"I won't question the mind-link thing, so what is it you learned about that stone?" I ask, honestly curious.

"Well, according to what I learned, the stone actually is supposed to exist in this world, but not this dimension. It is native to an alternate version of this world that we once had been able to travel to and from whenever we wanted, but sadly the portal collapsed a few hundred years ago." Histoire explains, and hearing this information surprises me.

"So, wait, you're telling me that I swallowed a stone from another dimension, one that this one has been cut off from for several centuries?!" I ask, unable to believe my ears.

"Yes, and apparently you are very lucky, because it has a fifty percent chance of having the effect it did on you occur." Histoire says, and I gulp.

"…What's the other fifty percent?" I ask, wondering how screwed I could have been.

"It would have turned you into a horrible monster, far worse than the Guard Vermin you fought in that cave." Histoire says darkly, and I give a dry chuckle at this.

"First I survive I fight with a goddess, then I survive a fall from the heavens, quite literally, and now this? I'm either very lucky or the world just wants me to survive to screw with me more, I can't tell which." I say, to which Histoire laughs at.

"Well, either way, I am still unable to figure out what the stone is called, nor why it is connected to your sword as well. However, I have learned information about your transformation back when you battled the witch Arfoire." She informs me, and I grunt at this.

"So that's her name. She never did give it to us, so I guess that's good to know. Anyways, what did you learn about my transformation? I'm confused as to what happened myself, even though it activated when I focused on the stone…" I ask her, and she hesitates.

"Well… Your transformation was the exact same as Neptune's transformation into Purple Heart, HDD. In other words… It would seem that you have become a CPU, Chris." Histoire says, dropping a bombshell. My jaw drops in surprise.

"M-m-me?! A CPU?! You can't be serious! How could that be possible?!" I stutter, both amazed and surprised.

"I don't know. I believe it has something to do with the stone, but I do not have any way to confirm this." Histoire says, and then changes the subject. "In any case, it would seem that you can connect to a nation's Shares if you decide to work with the CPU of that nation. But for now, we need a name for your CPU form. There are currently Purple, Green, Black, and White Hearts for the CPU names. You can go with a different shade of the color if you choose, but not the same one." She says to me, making me think back to my new CPU form. I remember the sage green hair color as I think about it.

"I think I will go with the name Sage Heart, based on my CPU form's hair color." I say, and Histoire is quiet for a moment.

"Alright, Sage Heart it is. Now, apparently you can use your CPU form whenever you need to. However, you can only use it for a total of two hours a day. Also, you can only use your more powerful attacks in times when you are truly desperate, like your _Rakari's Calamity_ and _Rakari's Fury_. Other abilities, like your _Divine Aqua Blade_ , can be used at any time." She informs me, and then says "Also, it would seem your elemental attacks get more powerful the more you use them, so you might want to use them as often as you can." I make a mental note about this information.

"Alright, I got it. Thank you for the information, that actually answers a few of my questions already. What was the other thing you wanted to talk about?" I ask her.

"I want you to go to the nation Lastation and try to locate and retrieve the Key Fragment. This is also the nation Black Heart is in charge of, so you will have the chance to repair your relationship with her and befriend her." Histoire says, causing me to frown and groan.

"Damn, I'm not looking forward to running into her again. I get the feeling she would kick me in the face if I ran into her again… But, I guess it's best to deal with the hardest one first, so I'll do it." I say, smiling.

"Exactly the reason I wanted you to go there next. I hope that your journey to Lastation goes well though…" Histoire says, sounding slightly worried.

"Don't worry, even if I am bested, Neptune can handle herself. I wouldn't be too worried. Besides, not many in my world could match my sword skills, so I don't need to worry too much." I say, trying to relieve Histoire.

"That is true, but the goddesses are stronger than most, don't forget that. Though, I am glad the one I chose to bring here knows how to defend himself." Histoire says, sounding a little happier. "Don't forget Chris, I brought you here because we need your help. But for now, it is time for you to rejoin Neptune and the others." She says, as the darkness grows brighter.

"Very well, I shall return if I need advice. But for now, I guess it's time to tell the group more about me." I say, and with that the light overtakes the darkness.

* * *

"Ngh… That was a decent rest…" I say as I sit up. At least it's peaceful right now…

"Heya Chrissie! Sleep well?" Neptune's face is now right in front of my own. So much for peaceful…

"Morning, Neptune. Y'know, I really could get used to this…" I say, which makes Neptune curious.

"What is it you could get used to?" She asks, causing me to smirk.

"Oh, just waking up to see a beautiful girl's face the minute I wake." I say, causing Neptune to blush and back up.

"Whoa, Chrissie, I didn't expect you to be so forward with the compliments." She says, causing me to smile.

"Well, I have to keep you on your toes somehow. Though I have to say, it's nice to see that you are able to be embarrassed." I say, causing Neptune to pout.

"Nepu… You were just teasing me, weren't you?" She asks.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Where are the other two, anyways?" I ask, changing the subject. She perks up and smiles.

"Oh, Compa and Iffy went to get more supplies. They should be back any mom-" She is cut off by the door opening

"We're back, Neptune. Oh, you're awake, Chris. Good, we still need to talk." IF says as she walks in, Compa following behind her.

"Morning Arc, hope you are ready for a lot of talking!~" Compa says, which makes me grimace.

"Well, I guess I did say I would talk after resting. Well then, let's get this started, shall we?" I ask, and they all nod.

* * *

"Alright, what is it you want to know first?" I ask. I am sitting in a chair while the other three are sitting on the couch on the other side of the table. IF starts the questions.

"First off, what did you mean when you said you were not from this world?" She asks, frowning.

"Exactly what I said. I was brought to this world by Histoire. I am able to talk with her when I sleep because of some kind of mental link caused by her bringing me here." I explain which seems to confuse them a little. Compa speaks up next.

"So why did you fall from the sky that day? Was that a part of when you arrived?" She asks, and I smile slightly.

"Somewhat… I woke up on the island called Celestia." I say, and both Compa and IF gasp. I continue speaking "I noticed four people fighting and when I arrived, three of them decided to triple team the fourth. I attempted to defend that fourth person, but she was defeated shortly before I was…" I look at them. "Those four were apparently the goddesses. I faced off against Black Heart when I was defeated." I say, and the three seem shocked.

"You fought the goddesses and lived?" IF asks, and I nod. Neptune raises her hand.

"So, can you tell us more about yourself? Like, how you learned how to fight?" She asks, and I chuckle.

"Well, alright, but it starts off as a sad story." I warn, and they just nod. I sigh, and start recounting my past. "I don't remember much of my parents. You see, twelve years ago, when I was six, my birth parents were both killed in a bank robbery that went wrong. The robbers shot them. I was orphaned for two years after that." I say, and the look on their faces seemed like they regret having me speak of this. "When I was eight, I was adopted by my current father, Matthew MacDuncan, and his wife Akira. Matthew is a master swordsman, and the man who trained me. When I was nine, I asked my father to train me to use the sword. When he asked why I wanted to learn the sword, I told him "I tire of seeing people I care about be hurt and not being able to do something about it. I want to protect others and make sure no one I care about gets hurt again." My father smiled and said that it was a noble reason, and agreed to train me." I say, and Neptune smiles at that.

"That totally sounds like something Chrissie would say. He acts tough, but he is just a big softie with those he cares about." She says, causing the others to smile and nod in agreement. I scratch my head.

"Wow, thanks for making me feel wimpy." I say, and then continue the story. "Anyways, my father-and teacher, trained me to the bone. He trained me almost every day, and we would always spar and I would usually lose. However, at the age of sixteen, I defeated my teacher for the first time. He congratulated me, and told me I had learned all he could teach. He also reminded me to always remember to train to keep my skills toned. Our total wins and losses are tied to this day." I say, smiling. The three of them seem happier after that.

"Wow, that explains your prowess with a sword. But why does the blade of your sword change based off your attack?" IF asks, and I sigh.

"That actually just started a couple days ago. The three of us- Me, Neptune, and Compa- ended up falling into that cave that we met you in. That is what caused its discovery, I believe. Anyways, when we were falling, a stone actually was forced down my throat. Apparently I was lucky, because it had a fifty percent chance to turn me into a monster. The other fifty percent… Well, it gave me this power, and somehow bonded to _Rakari_." I explain, and then add "I was informed this recently by Histoire, along with the fact that my most powerful abilities are only useable when I need them the most." Compa then asks the question I was dreading having to answer.

"So, what about when you changed like Nep-Nep does, Arc?" She asks.

"Well… I don't know how to explain why I have that power, even Histoire isn't sure yet. The one thing we know it that… Somehow… I'm a CPU now. CPU Sage Heart is the name that form goes by." There it is. I dropped the bombshell. The three of them are quiet for a moment. Then they react.

"Ehhhhhhh?!" They yell, looking at me in shock. Neptune is the first to speak again.

"So wait, does that mean I'm a CPU as well?" She asks. Crap, I was afraid this would happen.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that, Neptune." I say, and as she starts to argue, I cut her off. "Histoire asked me to not say anything, I'm sorry." I say, and she sighs, and then perks up.

"So, does this mean you can transform whenever you want, Chrissie?" Neptune asks, seeming hopeful.

"Yes, I can. However, I can only keep that form active for a total of two hours a day. I can activate it whenever I want, but once the two hours are used up, that's it for the day." I say, and Neptune's eyes light up.

"Yay, that means we can train together even better!" She says excitedly, causing me to smile. Before anything else happens though, IF turns to me.

"So, you are the first male CPU, apparently. This is going to be an interesting journey, that's for sure." She says, and I nod.

"Indeed. Oh, apparently the next Key Fragment will be in Lastation." I say, and then frown as I say "That means we are going to Black Heart's continent. I don't think she will be happy to see me…" I say, and the others stand.

"Well, even if that is the case, we have to go to the Basilicom to get permission to go to Lastation, so let's get going." IF says.

"Alright, I'll lead the way!" Neptune shouts, and runs out of the room, leaving all of us to follow her.

* * *

After several minutes of getting lost and Neptune asking for directions, we arrive at what appears to be a gate. Neptune starts talking about something along the lines of an ancient battle that a goddess and an evil god sealed each other with their weapons. I swear that sounds like the plot of a game, but I ignore it.

"So, where are we?" I ask IF and Compa.

"This is a sky harbor, we can get to the other lands from here since they are not connected." Compa explains.

"So, what, do we have to jump across yelling "wahoo!"?" Neptune asks, and I facepalm.

"Maybe grow a moustache and then jump? In all seriousness though, we need to go to the Basilicom." IF says, and I groan.

"Ugh, why are they referencing Mario now?" I mutter, and then say "Well, let's go. We need to get permission anyways." They all nod and we walk into the Basilicom.

"Hello?" Neptune calls out. Immediately after she calls out, a person in an interesting uniform appears.

"Welcome to the Planeptune Basilicom. What brings you here today?" The man asks.

"We would like to get crossing approvals to go to Lastation, if it's okay." IF says, and the man smiles.

"All four of you to Lastation, right? Very well, please fill this out and sign there." The man says, handing us an official looking document. We sign them and hand them back. "So, Mr. Chris, Ms. IF, Ms. Compa, and Ms. Neptunia, correct?" The man says, and I chuckle as Neptune frowns.

"Hey mister, it's Neptune, not Neptunia." She says, sounding a little upset.

"Oh, I'm sorry. How terrible of me, mistaking a loli-cute girl such as you…" He says, and I groan.

"Great, this guy is a lolicon…" I say under my breath. The man seems to be struggling to register Neptune's name into his memory.

"Is my name really that hard to say?" Neptune says, sounding more upset.

"Oh, no, no! It isn't hard at all. I'm just having a rather bad day." The man replies with a smile. He walks away to input the information, while IF questions why Compa can't say Neptune. He returns shortly after.

"Sorry for keeping you. You're all ready to go." He says, and we smile.

"Thank you for the help." I say, and as I turn to leave, Neptune asks a question that stops me in my tracks.

"Hey, is the goddess here by any chance?" Neptune asks. Oh, crap… This could get awkward.

"I think Lady Purple Heart is still in Celestia. We haven't seen her in a while, so that's where she might be. Though I did hear that the other goddesses have returned to their lands to defend them, so it is a little worrying." The man says, with a small frown. IF glances at me, and I mouth the word "Later".

"Hmm… That's too bad. Well, I guess we will head out now." Neptune says, and the man smiles again.

"Very well then. Have a good trip, and come back safely." He says as we leave.

"So this is Lastation…" I say as we arrive. It seems like a major industrial area as we look at it.

"Wow… it's all steampunky! So, does the "theme" of each land match with what the goddess likes?" Neptune asks, and IF shakes her head.

"No, the CPUs protect their lands. It's the humans who develop the land." IF says, and Neptune groans, saying it's too realistic.

"Anyways, let's go find the Basilicom, we need to get more information about the Key Fragment." I say, and the three of them agree.

* * *

After even MORE getting lost and asking for directions, we finally arrive at the Basilicom. This time, it was IF who was leading us, and considering that she was the one who caused us to get lost, I am a little worried. Though we did learn that Black Heart's real name is Noire. That information is good to have, that's for sure. Anyways, we enter the Basilicom, and Neptune yells out in the room.

"Hello? We came to meet Lady Black Heart, is she around?" She calls out, and a rather frustrated-looking staff member approaches us.

"Who are you kids? This isn't a playground. Get out!" He says to us. Well this guy is rude.

"Is that how you greet everyone who visits here, or are you having a bad day?" I ask him, but he doesn't seem to be having any of it.

"We are very busy and we do not need people like you causing us trouble. Now get out!" The man says, and I frown.

"Come on, Neptune. This guy obviously doesn't want to help us, so let's just go." I say coldly, and Neptune whines but she follows me out, IF and Compa following behind.

* * *

"So, the Basilicom is a bust. They don't want to help anyone it would seem." I say, and IF looks at me.

"Well, for now, why don't we just do some quests for now? We may learn more that way." She says, and Neptune looks happy.

"Well, I guess that means we can help others while trying to find information." She says, causing me to sigh.

"Well, let's go to the Guild. We are not going to find out anything just standing around here." I say, and with that we all head off to the Guild.

* * *

 **A/N: And that is it for Chapter 5! IF seems to be suspecting that Chris knows why Purple Heart isn't back from Celestia. Also, Sage Heart. Yeah… I'll be honest, I really wanted to use Gold Heart, but someone else already beat me to that. So, I decided to go with a different shade of a color that was used already in canon. Also, we now know Arfoire's name! Anyways, about the stone: The current three possibilities are a Sharicite, an Anti-Crystal, or a CPU Memory. Now you know the possibilities, and I have been hinting heavily at which one. Also, now Neptune and the others know Chris's history. Based on what Histoire said, Chris's abilities are currently limited heavily, but that will change as the story progresses. Anyways, next time we shall meet Chian and help her. And who knows, we may run into Lady Black Heart as well. Anyways, thank you so much for reading. Feel free to leave a review talking about what you think, and what I could do to improve the story. Also, PM me any predictions you have about the story or ideas that you might have. Again, thank you so much for reading, and I will see you in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 6: Battle of the CPUs

**A/N: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character Chris MacDuncan, and this story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Battle of the CPUs**

"So is that the person who we are working for?" I ask, pointing at a girl with blue hair.

"Huh, I was expecting a big, burly man, not a small girl." Compa remarks.

"Well, she is waving at us, so I think she is the right person." I say, noticing her waving.

"I guess she came to the same conclusion about us. Let's go talk to her." IF says, and we walk over to her.

"So it's you four? You're going to take the work I ordered?" She asks as we walk up to her. "Are you sure you can handle it?" She asks, frowning.

"I'm positive we can handle it. It's nice to meet you, my name is Chris MacDuncan, and these girls are Neptune, Compa, and IF." I say, giving a small bow, and pointing at each of them as I introduce each of them. The girl smiles a little at this.

"Well, I guess you wouldn't have come if you weren't okay." She says, and then introduces herself. "My name's Chian. I run a small factory called Passe. Now, no use standing around here. Follow me." She says, leading us into the building. As we walk in, we notice it looks a lot like a café rather than a factory.

"Wait, I thought you said you ran a factory." I say, and Chian laughs a little.

"My parents run the cafeteria. The factory is next door. You'd rather speak at a cleaner place, right? Take a seat." She says, and I nod.

"Dibs on the barstool!" Neptune yells, and we laugh a little as she talks about parfaits and puddings.

"So, what is it you would like us to do for you?" I ask, getting down to business.

"I would like to request you to take out the monster around the trade route. It used to be safe, but a large monster appeared recently, and has caused all trade to stop." Chian explains, and we nod.

"Alright, we can handle that." IF says.

"Good. With Avenir killing the market, we can't handle any other problems." Chian says, and I look at her with a confused look.

"Avenir?" I ask, and she sighs.

"Avenir is a major company that is all but ruling Lastation. They make everything from goods to weapons, and are controlling the market. People like me can't compete with them, so our products don't sell well. They have already caused other people to go out of business." Chian says, and IF frowns.

"That's against the antitrust laws! Can't you talk to the CPU? It's hard to believe she would just let this go." She says, and Chian sighs.

"We tried, but Lady Black Heart was away for too long… Avenir has their goons in the Basilicom. They pretty much own it now. It's such a waste, considering Lady Black Heart just returned from Celestia… Avenir won't let us anywhere near her." Chian explains, and I sigh.

"Sounds like Avenir needs to be kicked down a peg or two… And that explains why the staff at the Basilicom was so rude." I say, frowning. Then I smile and say "Well, let's start with what we can do. We will go deal with the monster." I say, and Chian sighs in relief.

"Thank you. Be sure to return when you are done." Chian says.

"Don't worry, we can handle it!" Neptune shouts, and we all leave and head to the location described.

* * *

"Well, it would seem that there are a lot of monsters here…" I say as I slice through another monster. We were ambushed by new monsters as soon as we arrived in the area.

"You got that right, Chrissie!" Neptune says as she defeats a monster herself.

"Well, that seems to be the last of them…" IF says, as she defeats the last one. "We haven't seen any sign of the monster Chian was talking about, so it must be further in." She says, and we nod at this.

"Let's go find Mr. Monster then, Iffy!" Compa says, and we all push forward.

* * *

Lots of monsters and, as Neptune put it, EXP grinding later, we arrive in a clearing. I'm still able to keep going, but it would seem the others need some time to rest. Neptune talks about the pudding she brought, and was about to start eating, when a roar surrounded us.

"Wait… isn't this where the monster we came for appears?" IF asks, as the monster comes out.

"Um, Iffy? This monster with the non-color variant design is…" Neptune starts to say.

"Yep, it's the monster Chian mentioned." I say as it approaches us.

"And I was just about to eat my pudding too…" Neptune says and then sighs. She then transforms into Purple Heart.

"You shall pay! Feel the wrath and agony deserving of tainting pudding time!" She yells, and I facepalm at this. "Great, she gets angry when someone interrupts her pudding." I think to myself.

"Let's just take care of it." I say, and I examine the monster. It looks like a mechanical bird, designed after a phoenix is I am correct. "I'm going to suggest we do NOT use fire elemental attacks, so be careful." I say, and with that we charge. Compa fires needles out of her syringe at it, while IF charges at it with her knives. Purple Heart charges at the creature as well, and I draw _Rakari_ and focus on an attack.

 _ **"Behold my power! Cross Combination!"** _ Purple Heart shouts, using her signature attack, hitting the monster seven times. It reels back and attempts to jab at her with it's beak.

 _ **"I don't think so! Blessed Dark Water Blast!"** _ I shout, and _Rakari's_ blade turns black, white, and cyan. Water surrounds the blade and it swirls with white and black in it. I block the beak and then point the blade at it, firing blasts of water at it six times, dealing more damage than expected.

It reels back and roars in pain, and I notice some of the wounds start to heal.

"Neptune! New combination attack, now!" I shout, and she nods. I focus on the blade of Rakari, and it glows cyan. "Compa, covering fire!" I shout, and she starts shooting needles at it quicker than before. Meanwhile, water is surrounding both me and Purple Heart.

"This is it for you!" Purple Heart shouts as the water infuses into her sword.

 _ **"Aquamancer's…."**_ I start, and we both dash towards the monster, _Rakari_ infused with water as well.

 _ **"…Rage!"**_ Purple Heart finishes, and we both strike the creature with our swords, and water infused bursts inside the creature, bloating it as we pass by. It explodes into data shortly after.

"Well, that worked surprisingly well." I say.

"Hey, wouldn't it have been faster if you both transformed and flew us here?" IF asks, and both me and Purple Heart flinch.

"While that may be true, my transformation only works for a total time of two hours a day. We don't want to be in the air when it forces me to transform back. Plus, I don't think Neptune could carry us all." I say, and IF nods in understanding.

"Anyways, I'm just going to change back now." Purple Heart says, but IF stops her.

"Wait just a moment, Nep. Don't undo it just yet." She says. "There is someone behind those rocks there." She points at said rocks.

"Wha-?" Purple Heart seems surprised.

"I'm impressed. I didn't expect you to notice me." A voice says from behind the rocks. _"Wait a minute… that's…!"_ I think as the person walks out from the rocks. It's none other than Black Heart.

"It's been a while, Neptune. Of course, you probably don't know me now…" Black Heart says while looking at Purple Heart, and then she turns and glares at me. "And don't think I've forgotten about you, Chris. I still need to pay you back for the humiliation you caused me back on Celestia!" She says with a furious look in her eyes.

"Iffy, is she…?!" Purple Heart starts, and IF nods.

"Yes… She does look like you in that form of yours. With that form and those eyes, I think she might know something about you, Nep." She replies, and Black Heart nods.

"That is correct. I know Neptune very well." She says, smirking.

"Really?! Then tell me, who am I?!" Purple Heart says, causing Black Heart to laugh.

"Being asked for help by Neptune! Very well, let me tell you…" She says, and I frown.

"I get the feeling that it won't be that easy." I say, as Black Heart continues.

"But on one condition. You and Chris have to defeat me in battle!" She says, and I sigh.

"Well, I guess we have no choice. IF, Compa, stay back for now. Let me and Neptune handle this." I say, and the two of them nod. I turn to face Black Heart, and notice she is right in front of me already. "Oh crap…" I say as she smirks

 _ **"Let's see how you handle this! Lace Ribbon Dance!"** _ She shouts, and slashes me several times before I can even block.

"Gah! That hurt!" I shout out in pain as I am knocked back.

"Chrissie!" Purple Heart shouts, and then glares at Black Heart. **_"How dare you! Cross Combination!"_** Purple Heart yells as she charges Black Heart, who dodges and blocks each strike.

"Is this really all you have? I thought you two could do better than this!" Black Heart laughs, but stops as she sees me rise to my feet. "Hm, perhaps you want to feel my blade again, do you?" She taunts.

"I don't think so. You see, I've grown stronger since Celestia." I say as I look at her and smirk, which causes her to flinch. "I think it's time for me to use it…" I say as I focus on the stone inside me, and I transform into Sage Heart.

"Now… Where were we?" I say in my deeper voice.

"No way… That can't be! You're a CPU?! How is that possible?!" Black Heart questions as she steps back.

"I am Sage Heart. Now, prepare yourself, Lady Black Heart!" I shout, and charge.

"Grrr… You won't best me!" Black Heart yells as she charges at me. Right as we are about to meet in air, she smirks. " ** _I have you now! Lace-_** " But before she finishes I interrupt her.

 _ **"Not if I can help it! Lightning's Revenge!"**_ I shout, and hit her sword out of her hand. While she is surprised, I give hit her with a flurry of slashes, _Rakari_ electrified, and she is zapped by each strike. Black Heart screams out in pain.

"Damn you! I'll get you!" She shouts as she charges again.

" ** _This is the end for you! Blazing Retribution!_** " I yell as _Rakari's_ lightning bolt-shaped blade turns red and turns into a flame-shaped blade. As Black Heart reaches me with her resummoned sword, I block her slash and hit her with the flame-based attack several times, then smash her into the ground with the final strike. As she tries to stand up, she noticed my sword aimed at her.

"Now, tell Neptune what you know like you promised." I say, and Black Heart looks at me with anger in her eyes.

"No! I won't accept this! There was only supposed to be one CPU! I'll get you for this!" She shouts, and before I can stop her, she flies away.

"Quickly! We have to catch her!" IF says, but before me and Purple Heart can give chase, our transformations revert on their own.

"What the… I don't think it's been two hours already…" I say, looking at my body.

"No time for that! Let's run after her!" Neptune shouts and runs off.

* * *

When we catch up to Neptune finally, she already found someone. Only problem is that it's not Black Heart. The girl has black hair in twintails, and has red eyes. She is wearing a fancy looking dress, and she seems rather upset.

"Neptune, you really need to not run off. Did you need something?" I ask, and I notice the smell of something that's burned coming from the girl. _"Could it be…?"_ I think to myself. This might actually be Black Heart after all!

"Yeah, she… Oh yeah, I haven't gotten your name yet. My name is Neptune. That's Chrissie, she is Compa, and the other is Iffy." Neptune says to the girl.

"That's Chris and IF, actually. Anyways, it's nice to meet you." I say to her. "So what's your name?" I ask, and she mutters something in response.

"What was that?" Neptune asks.

"Noire." The girl says loud enough to be heard. _"Yep, that all but confirms that this is Black Heart."_ I think to myself.

"Noire? Fancy name. I bet you don't have any friends and stuff." Neptune says, causing me to facepalm.

"Wha-?!" Noire jumps as this.

"Neptune, that's just rude to say." I say, and Noire looks at Neptune with anger in her eyes.

"How dare you?! Is that the way you greet someone you meet for the first time?!" She shouts at Neptune.

"Oh, calm down. It was just a joke." Neptune laughs.

"You really need to know when to try to be funny, Neptune. Compa, go ahead." IF says, and Compa nods.

"Alright, let's check you out now." Compa says, and while she is performing first aid, I decide to ask Noire something.

"So, Noire, what are you doing out here all alone?" I ask her, and she freezes.

"I… um… uh…" She stutters. As I go to ask what's wrong, Neptune speaks up.

"Wait, don't tell me, you have amnesia as well?" Neptune asks, and I facepalm. _"Dammit, Neptune, you gave her a way out!"_ I think to myself. Noire looks shocked.

"What?! I… Yeah, that sounds right. I can't remember anything at all, other than my name." Noire says, not sounding convincing. I look at IF, who shakes her head and sighs.

"Well, it doesn't matter right now. We seem to be in a safe area, and it's rather late. We should set up camp here for the night, and we can head back tomorrow." I say, and everyone agrees.

* * *

Later that night, I'm leaning against a couple of rocks outside the tent. Neptune tried to convince me to sleep in the tent with them, but I told her "It would be one guy with four girls. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Besides, someone needs to keep watch for monsters." She was unable to argue with that reasoning. So now I'm sitting here alone. As I look up at the stars, I hear the tent flap move. I look over and see Noire climbing out of the tent.

"Going somewhere, Noire?" I ask, causing her to jump.

"Oh, uh… Chris. I thought you were asleep already." She says, and I chuckle.

"If I was, I would be a terrible sentry. Come, sit. I wanted to ask you a few questions." I say to her.

"I don't know how much I can answer, considering my memory, but I can try." She says as she sits next to me, and I sigh.

"Cut the crap, Black Heart. I know it's you." I say, and she flinches at this.

"Wha- How did you know?" She asks quietly.

"Other than your name, the burnt smell made it kinda obvious." I say, and she sighs.

"So, what are you going to do now? Are you going to finish me off?" She asks, and I laugh at that.

"No way, Noire. I honestly didn't even want to fight you. I came here hoping to become friends, and try to make up for what happened in Celestia." I say, and she sighs in relief.

"Well, that's good to hear… Wait, become friends?! What makes you think I'd be friends with someone like you?" She asks, and I swear she's blushing like crazy from the way she's acting.

"Hey, don't go all tsundere on me, alright? I deal with enough stupid stuff from Neptune, and I really don't need more to deal with." I say, and she sighs at this.

"I'm sorry… It's just… Why would you even want to be friends with me? I mean, both times we met, I nearly killed you. So tell me, why do you want to try to be friends with me?" She asks, and I think about it for a moment.

"While the attempts to kill me do make things a little awkward, it doesn't matter to me. I can tell that you are a good person no matter what you try to do." I say, and then smirk. "Besides, who wouldn't want to be friends with such a beautiful lady?" I ask, and it takes a moment for her to register what I just said. When she does, though…

"I… wha- You…" She stutters, her embarrassment obvious.

"Yes, I said that you are beautiful, Noire. While I admit part of the reason I said it was to see your reaction, I actually meant it." I say, holding in a chuckle, while she sighs, still embarrassed.

"You i-idiot…" She says quietly, and I laugh.

"Well, I guess it's easy to break a tsundere after all. Anyways, I'm going to sleep now. Wake me if you need anything." I say as I lay back and close my eyes.

"Idiot…" I hear her say one last time as I pass out.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's it for Chapter 6! Also, DOUBLE UPDATE. I kinda owed you guys for not updating during the weekend, plus I got carried away with my writing. So yeah, the CPU form of _Rakari_ also changes shape to match the element being used, so yeah, that's a thing now. Also, Noire! Yeah, you got busted. But seriously, I doubt transforming gets rid of that burnt smell, and if you are hit by fire and electricity, then there will be burning. It's just logic. And boy does Chris enjoy teasing the ladies. But is it just him teasing her? Anyways, thank you so much for reading. Feel free to leave a review about what you liked about the story so far, and what I can do to improve it. Also feel free to send a PM leaving your predictions or suggestions. Again, thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 7: Romance Issues!

**A/N: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or- wait, what?!**

 ***Crash***

 ***Thud***

 **Ehehehe… I think I knocked the author out cold… Anyways, hey, it's me, Neptune! Just here to warn you that things will get pretty sappy here, and it might even get a bit- Oh wait, the author isn't out cold.**

 **Dammit, Neptune, get out! No spoilers! Shoo!**

 ***Insert scene of the author chasing Neptune out of the room here. Insert Benny Hill music for greater effect.***

 ***Sigh* Sorry about that. Anyways, we all know the disclaimer by now, let's just get on with the chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Romance Issues?!**

"Huh, back here already…" I say, looking around in the darkness.

"Congratulations, it would seem you have already befriended Noire." Histoire's voice calls out. "Though, you really do need to be careful with your teasing." She adds, sounding a little worried.

"But where's the fun in that? Besides, it's not really teasing if I actually mean what I say." I reply, and she giggles.

"I guess that's true… But still, be careful. Anyways, I wanted to warn you about Avenir." She says, causing me to frown.

"What about them?" I ask.

"Well, they are willing to do anything to get rid of people who get in their way. So be prepared for them to lay out a trap." Histoire explains, causing me to grimace.

"Well that's just brilliant… I'll keep an eye out for any possible traps. Anything else?" I ask.

"That's it for now. Just be careful." Histoire says, the darkness lighting up again.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." I say before waking up.

* * *

"Ngh… Well, I've slept better…" I say, and as I go to sit up, I realize something's on top of me. As my eyes focus, I realize that Noire is asleep, and she has snuggled into my chest. I can feel myself blushing as I just stare at her. I go to wake her up, but before I can, Neptune bursts out of the tent. As she is about to shout, she notices the two of us. At first she looks shocked, but then a devious smile forms on her face.

"Why Chrissie, you sly dog. You shouldn't bed a girl you just met!" She says loudly, and the color drains from my face as IF exits the tent.

"Neptune, what are you shouting about this early? I swear you-" She stops and blinks as she notices me and Noire as well."…Chris? You better have a good explanation for this…" She says with her voice dangerously low, and I sigh.

"I take it you wouldn't believe that I woke up like this?" I ask, and IF shakes her head. As I go to explain what happened, Noire starts to stir.

"Can't you people be quiet. I need my-" She stops as she notices where she is. Her face slowly turns bright red.

"Morning, Sunshine." I say, trying to sound cheerful. Noire's face slowly turns from embarrassment to anger.

"Y-y-you…. YOU PERVERT!" She shouts, and she starts punching me in the face.

"Owowow! Stop it! You're the one who fell asleep on top of me!" I shout while being pummeled.

* * *

"I can see why Histoire told me to be careful now…" I say as we walk back to Chian's place, my face bruised all over from the pummeling Noire gave me.

"Jeeze, I said I was sorry." She says, acting tsundere again.

"And I told you to stop acting tsundere, but you're still doing so." I say, looking at her.

"Alright, you two, stop fighting. It was a misunderstanding." IF says, then looks at me. "Speaking of which, sorry for jumping to conclusions there, Chris." She says, and I wave her off.

"Don't worry, I would have thought the same thing had I seen that." I say, and she smiles at that.

"Anyways, let's go back to see miss Chian." Compa says, and we all nod, but then I notice someone important missing.

"Hey, where's Neptune?" I ask, and we all look around.

"That's strange, she was here earlier…" IF says. I frown and transform into Sage Heart.

"I'll go look for her." I say as I fly off, leaving them looking confused.

* * *

After about an hour of searching, I finally spot Neptune sitting on a log. As I land she looks at me. She seems… depressed. But she has a smile on her face, which makes me worried.

"Oh, hey Chris…" She says, which worries me since she never calls me Chris.

"Neptune… What's wrong? You never call me Chris." I ask, which causes her to sigh.

"I… I don't know. I mean, I should know, since I'm the main heroine, but I just don't know. All I know is that when I saw you and Noire in that position, I felt a pain in my chest… I may not have my memory, but I know I never felt this way before…" She explains as I walk towards her. When I reach the log, I sit down and look at her. It… It looks like she's crying! She looks at me, tears in her eyes. "What should I do, Chris? Please, if you know anything about this, tell me what I should do!" She pleads with me, and I think for a moment.

"Well… I'd say you should just do whatever it is your heart is telling you to do. I mean, it can't be as bad as you being depressed." I say, and notice her go distant. "Um, Neptune?"

"Do whatever my heart tells me to…?" She asks, speaking to herself. A blush starts to form on her face. "Well, let's see if it works then, Chrissie." She says as she turns towards me and moves closer.

"Um, Neptune? What are you-" I start, but she cuts me off as she presses her lips against mine, catching me by surprise. I can feel my face burning up as she pulls away. It was only for a second, but it was long enough to leave me confused and embarrassed. "Neptune… What…?" I ask, and she gives me an earnest smile.

"Well, I just did what I thought my heart was telling me to do, and I think I was right. Now come on, we need to go catch up to Iffy and the others." She says while standing, and she starts walking back towards the group. After a little ways away, she turns, a huge blush on her face. "By the way, thanks Chrissie… no, thanks Chris. I… I love you!" She says, causing me to flinch, my face burning bright red as she turns and walks back towards the group. I'm just sitting there staring at where Neptune was. _"Did… Did she just confess to me?!"_ I question myself in my mind. I still don't even know my own feelings about the girls, and one just confessed to me already…

"I… I need to sit here and think for a bit…" I say, sitting in the same spot Neptune was sitting in.

* * *

Several minutes later of me sitting there thinking, I hear footsteps coming towards me. I turn and notice its Noire.

"Oh, hello, Noire." I say as she walks up to me.

"`Oh, hello' yourself, Chris. Neptune already came back, so we had to go looking for you now!" She shouts at me, and I sigh.

"Sit down, Noire. This might take some explaining." I say, and she sits next to me. "I'm just going to state the reason I'm out here still. Neptune just confessed to me." I explain, which causes her to gasp.

"W-w-what did you say?" She stutters, unable to believe her ears.

"I said that Neptune confessed to me. I didn't reply to her, but that's where my problem is. I don't quite know my feelings for any of you girls. I mean, I like all of you, and I especially like you and Neptune, but I… I just don't know what to do here!" I shout the last part. I look at Noire and see her blushing with a surprised look on her face. "…What? What did I say?" I ask her.

"Y-y-you just said you like both me and Neptune, you idiot! Not that it… makes me happy to hear that or anything." She says, and I laugh slightly.

"Whoops, that slipped out… Well, now you know, so I guess it's up to you for what you want to do about it." I say, not mentioning the tsundere lines again. Then I realize what I said. "Oh crap, I didn't mean it like-" and once again, I'm cut off by a pair of lips crashing against mine, however, this time, instead of Neptune, it's Noire who has kissed me. Once again, my face goes bright red. As we separate, I notice that her face is bright red as well. "Whoa… I didn't expect that from you as well, Noire." I say, and she gives a small smile.

"It's just… I'm so happy to hear that you like me, even after all the times I tried to kill you. Hell, I'm just glad to hear that someone likes me at all…" She says, then blinks and jumps in surprise. "N-no! I didn't say any of that! I don't particularly care that you like me! I- Huh?!" She says as I pull her into a hug.

"Calm down, Noire. It's fine. Heh, I guess you can't break tsundere habits after all." I say, and notice a small smile on her face.

"Y-you idiot…" She mutters as I let go of her. "You better come back soon, alright?" She says as she stands, and I nod at her. As she walks away, she stops and turns. "I-I-I know this will make things harder for you… B-b-but…" She starts.

"But…?" I ask, and notice her face go red as she shouts the next part.

"IreallythinkIaminlovewithyou! Gah!" She covers her mouth and runs off, leaving me stunned.

"Huh… two goddesses confessing to me in one day… Well that happened." I say as I stand back up, stretch, and make my way back towards the group.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter 7 is done. And before any of you say "That was too fast!" I'm just going to say first, I don't care, and second, the chapter was almost literally writing itself. This chapter took so many left turns, it's not even funny. I even had to change the name of the chapter due to how far it went. I literally said "Screw it, Romance it is." When it went off topic So yeah, Chris was confessed to by both Noire and Neptune. Will he accept their feelings and return them? Or will he break their hearts. Only time will tell. Also, Noire will be more tsundere later. I know I kinda broke it. Oh well. Anyways, if you liked this pure BS chapter, good for you. Leave a review stating what you liked or what I could do to improve the story. Also PM me any predictions you may have or any ideas to make the story better. Next time: Chapter 8: The Avenir Problem (FOR REAL THIS TIME) Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 8: The Avenir Problem Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: So yeah, the chapter is actually happening! I blame the romance turn last chapter. Also, I wanted this out on Sunday, but a friend gifted me Re;Birth 3. So… yeah… Let's just start this.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: The Avenir Problem Part 1: Assignment**

After a bit of walking, since I wasted one whole hour of my CPU form for today while searching for Neptune, I finally arrive at the group. When IF and Compa ask where I was, I tell them that after talking to Neptune I had to do some thinking. They drop the subject pretty quickly. We head back to Chian's place, Neptune and Noire are staying right beside me. The two of them seem really happy right next to me. However…

"Hey Noire! What do you think you're doing so close to my Chrissie?" Neptune questions her.

"Your "Chrissie"? First of all, his name is Chris, and second, I could ask the same to you. Also, he isn't yours!" Noire shouts, then adds "Not like I want him to be mine or anything…"

"Well, it's obvious why I'm so close to him. After all, not only am I the main heroine, but I confessed my love to him.~" Neptune replies, causing Noire to stomp on the ground.

"W-w-well I confessed to him as well! There, I said it! So it will be up to him to choose! N-not that I want Chris to pick me or anything…" She says, and Neptune smirks at that.

"Oh, so you're fighting me for his love then. Alright then! Chrissie! Which of us do you like more?" She asks, and I flinch at that.

"W-w-what?! Neptune, I still don't know my feelings for both of you, okay? I'll have an answer when we find the Key Fragment here in Lastation. That okay with you two?" I ask them. We already explained the Key Fragments to Noire, so it doesn't confuse her when I mention them.

"Nepu… Fine, but I will do all in my power to make you choose me!" Neptune shouts before latching herself to my arm.

"W-w-what?! F-f-fine! I'll do the same!" Noire says, while blushing, and grabs my other arm.

"IF! Compa! Help me!" I yell for them, IF looks back, and I swear I saw a sweatdrop appear.

"Yeah… You're on your own, Chris." IF says.

"Sorry, Arc, but remember, love is a journey. And this one you have to go alone." Compa says while smiling.

"Noooooo… My friends have betrayed me…" I say, sounding defeated.

* * *

"Ah, you're all back! I take it you were successful?" Chian asks as we return to the cafeteria.

"Yep! Me and Chrissie beat up that monster easily!" Neptune responds in her normal cheerful demeanor. Chian smiles when she hears this.

"Thank goodness, now we don't have to worry about supply shortages." She says, and IF smiles.

"I guess our first Lastation assignment was a success" She says, while Chian then notices Noire.

"Hm? I don't remember her being with you before, who is she?" She asks with a curious look on her face.

"Oh, that's Noire. She was injured and has no memory, so we helped her and brought her with us." IF says, and Chian nods at that.

"Is that so? Wait…" She says, then frowns. "I've seen her before…" Her eyes go wide in shock. "Is it possible…? Lady Black Heart?!" Noire reels back in shock at this, and I frown. After our talk the other day, we agreed to not tell this to the others, so they don't know that she is Black Heart.

"Noire… Lady Black Heart?" Compa asks, while Neptune has a very suspicious look on her face.

"What?! Breaking News: The girl who lost her memory was really the CPU?!" She says, and I decide to step at that moment.

"Now look, I don't think she is actually the CPU. If you ask me, I'd say she is just cosplaying as Lady Black Heart." I say, while looking at Noire. She realizes what I'm doing and decides to play along.

"Uh, yeah, that sounds right. I guess I liked cosplay before I lost my memory, and was cosplaying Lady Black Heart at the time." She says, not sounding as convincing as I would like, but everyone else nods at this.

"Is that it? I have to say, you look exactly like the goddess while you're dressed like that." Chian says, and Compa sighs.

"That's too bad, if Noire was the CPU, I'm sure Chian's hopes would be heard." She says, and Neptune laughs.

"Oh Noire, my rival in love, you cause such a ruckus." She says, which earns a curious look from Chian, but I mouth the words "Don't ask" to her, and she nods. Noire seems to be relieved that no one was suspecting her to be the CPU now.

"Anyways, I think we should be heading out, but is there anything else you need?" I ask Chian.

"Already? Let me at least treat you all to some food." She says, and receives no arguments from anyone.

* * *

"Neptune, don't talk with your mouth full." I say after she tries to talk.

"Chian, this burger is amazing!" She says after swallowing her food.

"The soup is great, too! I feel so warm inside." Compa says while smiling.

"It's my mother's pride menu. I'm glad to know you're all enjoying it." Chian says with a huge smile on her face. I look at Noire, who seems to be hesitant about eating. She looks at me, as if asking if it was really okay to eat with us. I just smile at her and nod, and that's all she needs before she actually starts eating.

"I have to say, it really is good." Noire says, which makes us all smile.

"I agree. The food here is better than most food I've eaten where I come from." I say, but then I hear Neptune make a sound.

"Nepu… Who added these eggplants?! They deserve to die!" She says. Well then… that's rather extreme.

"So you don't like eggplants, Neptune?" Compa asks, which causes Neptune to frown.

"More like hate! How could anyone eat these purple husks?!" She questions, and I sigh.

"Neptune, before you cause a scene, just pass them to me. I'll eat them so you won't have to." I say, and Neptune smiles at me.

"Really? Yay! Thank you for saving me from the purple plant of doom, Chrissie!" She says as she puts them on my plate.

"So, I was wondering, is there anything I could help you people with anything?" Noire asks, which catches us off guard.

"Oh, so Noire wants to fight with us?" Neptune asks, and she nods.

"Yeah, I'm pretty strong, so I could help out a lot." She says, which earns a smile from me and IF.

"Alright, we're happy to have you, Noire." IF says, and Noire gives off a genuine smile for the first time in a while.

"Thank you, I'll make sure you don't regret it." She says.

"A party of five this early in the game? That's a great start for us." Neptune says, causing me to facepalm. "Can she not stop breaking the wall?" I ask myself.

"Well, if you're having a good start, mind doing one more job for me?" Chian asks as she returns. "Can you use my weapon that I'm going to exhibit at the Technology Expo?" She asks, and I look at her in surprise.

"A Technology Expo? Do they show all sorts of tech there?" I ask, then realize how obvious my question was.

"Yes, all the different companies showcase what they have made. It also has a tournament where the winner can get a trophy from the CPU." Chian explains, and Compa looks at her in surprise.

"A trophy? What an achievement! So, can we take down Avenir with a trophy?" She asks, and Chian shakes her head.

"No. We'll go for the win, and when we meet the Lady, we tell her what is going on." She states, and we all nod. I look at Noire and notice how quiet she is, then turn back to Chian.

"I see, it's a good plan." I say, and Chian smiles.

"Good to hear. That's why I need you to test out my weapon I'm going to exhibit." She says, and Neptune smiles happily.

"That's easy! But what exactly do you need us to do?" She asks.

"Just fight with it and give me feedback." Chian responds, and we nod.

"Sounds simple enough. We can also do other quests while doing this." I say, and Noire decides to speak up.

"Well then… how about we do some work for Avenir?" She asks, which causes Neptune to freak out.

"What?! Why would we work for the enemy?!" She asks.

"Actually, that's a great idea." Both me and IF say at the same time. We look at each other and laugh at how in sync we were.

"Iffy? Arc? What do you mean?" Compa asks.

"Avenir must have had similar problems as Chian with getting materials." IF starts explaining.

"So, depending on the work, we may find out what they are going to exhibit." Noire finishes.

"Hmm… Still, I don't feel right doing this…" Neptune says, and I put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at me.

"Well, I don't think any of us like Avenir either, but it's good to know what we are up against." I say, and Compa nods.

"Let's just deal with it, Nep-Nep." She says, and Neptune nods.

"Well, if you two say so, I guess I can deal with it."

* * *

Later that night, after we all fell asleep, I hear Histoire's voice again.

"Well, this was a surprise, but not quite unexpected. I had a feeling at least one of the CPUs would fall for you, but I didn't expect two of them to do so. Especially not after just meeting Noire." She says, and I sigh.

"Yeah, it's very hard trying to choose. No matter which one I choose, I will end up hurting the other. It's… I just don't know…" I say.

"Well, why don't you explain that to them? I'm sure they will understand. Besides, things might just go better than you expect." She says, as if she is hinting at something. I laugh slightly.

"I guess I will tell them. But it will be after we find the Key Fragment, as I promised." I say, which earns a sigh from Histoire.

"Very well, that was all I wanted to talk about. Be careful out there!" She says.

"You know I will." I reply as the darkness of sleep turns bright.

* * *

"So, uh, Noire? Why are you wearing eyeglasses?" I ask her when I run into her. She is wearing a pair of red framed glasses.

"Well, the main reason is so no one recognizes me. The second is that.. Well… I think I look decent while wearing them." She replies, and I facepalm.

"While that second reason is good enough, and I agree with you there, a pair of glasses is not enough to hide your identity." I say, and she blushes at that.

"W-W-Well, it's not like I wanted your opinion anyways, and besides, what makes you so sure it won't work?" She asks, and I sigh.

"Well, considering it's the only thing different, you look exactly the same, Noire." I say, and she sighs.

"That's true… Well, thanks for being honest, at least." She mutters, and I laugh a little.

"Anyways, where's Neptune and the others?" I ask.

"They should all be over in the forest. That's where we are meeting out Avenir clients." She replies, and I nod.

"Very well, let's get going." I say, and she nods. We leave right after and head towards the forest.

* * *

After we arrived, Neptune teased Noire about the glasses, and afterwards, we met our clients, President Singe and Ganache. Singe seems to be the all business type of person, while Ganache is more friendly and cheerful. We learned that they are making a new plant, but a monster in the dungeon is causing them trouble. They have tasked us with defeating it. So here we are, clearing out monsters. I wonder when-

"Alright, Chrissie, that's enough of the inner monologue." Neptune says, throwing me off.

"Neptune, stay out of my head!" I shout. I don't need her reading my thoughts.

"Hehe, sorry, it's a main character thing." She responds, and I sigh.

"Well, it sucks that all the information they gave us said was that the monster was large." I say, to which everyone agrees.

"Maybe we will find someone who knows what we are looking for." Noire says, and I nod.

"It's possible, but let's keep looking for now , though." I say and they nod.

* * *

After encountering a person who called themselves MAGES., who seemed to recognize everyone but me, we learned where the monster we were looking for was, and found it rather quickly afterwards. It seemed to be a big blue wolf with blades attached to its body. And it really does not look friendly.

"Well, let's deal with it. Transform!" Neptune shouts, and both me and her activate HDD. Noire, IF, and Compa all start attacking it, Compa just shooting her syringe needles at it, Noire using her rapier, and IF using her knifes/blade gauntlets. I really can't tell what they are. Unfortunately, their attacks seem to have little effect, while me and Purple Heart are actually hurting it.

"Enough of this! Lace Ribbon!" Noire shouts as she unleases a few slashes and kicks on the creature. Those seemed to have an actual effect on it, and it reeled back in pain.

"Take this! Cross Combination!" Purple Heart shouts, and unleashes six slashes on it, and throwing it in the air and into the ground again.

 **"My turn! Frozen Flame Strike!"** I shout, _Rakari_ turning to its flame shaped blade and freezing solid. I strike the wolf five times, and then shatter the ice flame on the monsters head. It swipes us away with its claws, proving to be stronger than we expected. "Noire, Neptune! Combination attack, NOW!" I shout to them, and they move by my side. _Rakari_ glows and three colors form, two of them separating and infusing themselves into Noire's rapier and Purple Heart's sword. The rapier's color turns blue, the sword turns red, and _Rakari_ is in its lightning bolt shape.

 _ **"This is the end! Tri-Element Assault!"** _ We shout, and we each strike the creature five times, and the creature roars in pain, then slumps over. It bursts into data shortly after.

"Well, that was easier than I expected. You did good yourself, Noire." I say, which causes Noire to blush.

"I-I-It's not like it makes me happy to hear that. But anyways, you and Neptune are both rather impressive." She says, and I smile.

"Yeah, now we have a trio attack, so that's good. Everyone did great here." I say.

"Alright, we have the data for Chian. I say we should head back now." IF says. We nod and leave to head towards Chian's factory again.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the end of chapter 8! Not much to say, other than the EXE Drive attack Neptune, Chris, and Noire used is a unique attack to the point that it will be the only three people attack Chris can use. Also, Faolan will be joining into the fights later. Anyways, Chris will also soon be forced to use his normal form because of the time limit running out. But enough of that. Next time we will see our friends helping Avenir again. Will they be betrayed? Will they find the Key Fragment? Find out next time! Anyways, thanks for reading, feel free to leave a review or PM me about anything, and I will see you in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 9: The Avenir Problem Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: So yeah, The Avenir Problem has become a two-parter. Mainly because I wanted to have a chapter to post on Monday, and I really didn't need another 4k word chapter.**

 **Also, as a notice, if I finish… No, when I finish this fic, I'm thinking about writing a Fire Emblem: Awakening one. So if you guys stay with me that long, there is something to look forward to. Second piece of news: I think I will continue this through all three games, but that is still just a possibility. Anyways, just sit back and enjoy the chapter. Well, I mean, I hope you enjoy it. Ugh, starting now!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: The Avenir Problem Part 2: Betrayal and Confession?!**

"Hey Chian, we're done with the weapon testing!" Neptune shouts as soon as we arrive in the cafeteria. Chian looks up at us in surprise as Neptune hands the sword back to her.

"Already? That was rather fast. So, what's up with Avenir?" She asks, and I shake my head.

"It didn't work quite how we wanted. We learned that they are making a new plant, but nothing about what they are doing for the Technology Expo." I explain, which causes Chian to sigh in disgust.

"Another one? They just don't learn, do they?" She says, which earns a confused look from us.

"Is it really that bad that they are making a plant?" IF asks, and Chian nods in response.

"Yeah, those plants they keep making are ruining the nature around them. We have lost countless forests to those plants, so they really are bad." She explains, which causes everyone to gasp.

"That must make it harder to live in Lastation." Compa says sadly, and we all nod in agreement.

"Well, let's go back to Avenir then." IF says, and I nod.

"Right. We may not have found out anything last time, but that may change next time." I say, and Neptune smiles.

"Aaaand, we can do some sleuthing, too!" She says cheerfully, causing Chian to flinch.

"Hey, whoa, nothing over-the-top, alright?" Chian says, causing Neptune to pout.

"Nepu… You're all such killjoys." She says.

"Wait… I hear something outside…" I say, and as I look at the windown I see a figure bolting away. I run out the door just in time to catch a glimpse of the person running. Noire runs out to me at that moment.

"What was it? Was it someone from Avenir?" She asks, and I sigh, a look of worry on my face.

"I think that was Ganache…" I say, causing her to gasp.

* * *

Later that night, I was talking with Noire about what we have learned so far. It seems that Avenir never really allowed her to find out what was going on.

"As much as I hate to admit it, if it weren't for you and Neptune, I wouldn't have figured out what was happening." Noire says, to which I smile at.

"Well, I'm glad that you are letting us help. Though, one thing still makes no sense… I mean, spurring business growth is one thing, anyone can agree with that. But the risk of the environment… That's just too big of a gamble." I say, and she nods.

"That's what I was thinking. I mean, if no one can live here, it defeats the purpose. I wonder what Avenir is really planning…" Noire says, causing me to sigh.

"Yeah. I've learned a little about why you CPUs fight in the Console Wars, but at this rate, there's no point in it if the environment is gone." I say, and she nods with a sad smile on her face.

"That's true, and I don't think I would be able to fight Neptune after seeing how nice she is. It just… It wouldn't feel right." She says, and at that moment, Neptune barges into the room with a few containers of pudding.

"Noire! Chrissie! Let's go eat some pudding!" She shouts, causing both of us to flinch.

"Jeeze, Neptune! Don't surprise us like that!" I say, and she gives a sheepish smile.

"Whoops, sorry about that. Anyways, I bought some pudding, so I was wondering if you two would eat some with me." She says, and I look at Noire.

"Well, if Noire wants to go, I'll go with you as well. But I'll leave it up to her." I say, and she shakes her head.

"I'm not really in the mood, so no thanks." Noire says, causing Neptune to pout.

"Oh, come on, please! Neither IF or Compa want to either, so who am I supposed to eat with?" She asks.

"Um, why not yourself?" Noire asks, and Neptune sighs.

"You don't understand, do you? Pudding tastes better eating with others. Like, a lot better!" She says, and this time Noire sighs.

"Well, even so, I won't eat before I sleep. I'll get fat. I'm exhausted, anyways." She says, which causes me to frown.

"I don't think a C—Mmph!" I'm cut off by Noire covering my mouth, and realize what I almost said. "Er, I mean, I don't think you can get fat that easily…" I say, trying to play it off.

"W-W-Well, it doesn't matter, I still don't want to take the risk." She says, and Neptune looks down in disappointment.

"Awwww, okay… I guess it's my fault for asking so late." She says. I look at Noire and see that she has a guilty look on her face. "But… it would've been great to eat with Noire and Chrissie…" She says, making me feel guilty as well.

"…Well… If you want to eat with us that bad, then I guess it's fine." Noire says, which causes Neptune to look up in happiness.

"Really! Yay! Thank you! I love ya both! I knew you'd come through!" She shouts as she throws herself at us and locks us in a hug.

"Whoa, wait! Stop hugging us!" Noire says, and Neptune backs off while smiling again.

"Sorry, I was a little too happy there." She says, and she pulls us outside.

* * *

"So, why do we have to be outside to eat the pudding?" Noire asks, and I shrug.

"Dunno, but it really is a nice night." I say, looking at sky. Neptune giggles a little.

"Well, pudding also tastes better outside, too! So it should be even better with more people and being outside!" She says, then adds "The sky is pretty out here, anyways!"

"Yes, it is indeed beautiful…" Noire says, and I nod in agreement.

"I know, right! I just found out when I ate outside the last time" Neptune says, and Noire sighs.

"Ah, right… I'm sorry I didn't eat with you last time…" She says.

"Yeah, I was probably asleep at the time, but if I had been awake, I would have joined you, Neptune." I say, and she smiles at us.

"Aww, thanks you two. And don't worry about it, Noire. I was kinda pushy, too!" She says with a big smile on her face. "Besides, I'm eating with both of you now, so everything's good!" She adds, which causes both me and Noire to smile.

"Neptune…" Noire starts, but hesitates. She shakes it off and continues. "Um, can I ask you something?" She asks.

"Sure, as long as you don't ask what my account balance is." Neptune jokes, and Noire just smiles.

"If you were a CPU… What would you think of Lastation? I mean, between the Land and the Console War, which would you choose?" She asks, then looks at me. "Chris, I would like you to answer that question as well, since you are apparently a CPU." She says, and I start thinking about the question.

"Hmmm… I'm not a CPU, so I'm not really sure." Neptune says, causing Noire to give a small smile.

"I'm asking a hypothetical "what if" question." Noire says.

"Hmmm… I would want to help whoever is in front of me first. And the Console War? Even if that goes bad… I'm more happy seeing the people's faces who I helped! …And pudding, of course." Neptune says, and both me and Noire laugh a little at that last part.

"Yeah, I have to agree. I would put the Land and its people before the Console Wars. Also, I would prefer to try and bring peace between all the CPUs in the war. I mean, I just dislike fighting for personal gain rather than to help others." I say, which causes Noire to smile sadly.

"Neptune… Chris…" She says, which gets Neptune's attention.

"Hm? What's the matter, Noire?" She asks, and Noire shakes her head.

"No, nothing… Nothing at all." She says, then changes the subject. "By the way, your egg pudding looks good. Do you mind if I take a bite?" She asks Neptune, who nods.

"Okay! Let me try your chocolate pudding, too!" She says, and then looks at me. "Chrissie, do you want to try ours as well? I'd like to try your cherry pudding, myself." She says, and I smile.

"Sure, if it's okay with Noire, too." I say, and she blushes and nods.

"S-Sure, I don't mind…" She says, then looks at Neptune. "Alright, open your mouth wide." She says, holding her spoon up to Neptune's face, who opens her mouth and closes it as she accepts the spoon.

"Aaah… The bittersweet flavor is just pure ecstasy!" Neptune says, then holds her spoon up to Noire. "Alright, your turn, open wide!" She says, and Noire does as she is told and eats it.

"Mmmm… It tastes nice and is very sweet." She says, and then turns to me. "Alright, Chris, it's your turn. Open wide." She says, holding the spoon up to my face. I smile, then open my mouth and take the pudding from the spoon.

"Ah, chocolate is always a great flavor." I say, smiling brightly, and then Neptune holds her spoon up to me.

"Now, taste mine! I'm sure you'll like it." Neptune says, and I open my mouth again and eat the pudding.

"Wow, I never expected egg pudding to taste so sweet! That's really good!" I say, then hold up my spoon to Neptune's face. "Now, it's your turn to try mi-" I don't even get a chance to finish talking before she bites down on the spoon.

"Come on, hurry up and slip one into my mouth!" Noire says while Neptune is still tasting it, and I laugh a little as I hold the spoon up to her.

"Ignoring the obvious innuendo, here you go. Open wide!" I say, and she obliges, and I put the spoon in her mouth.

"Wow, Chrissie! That cherry pudding tastes better than the egg one I was eating." Neptune says, causing me to smile.

"Glad to hear that you like it." I say, and then look at Noire.

"I agree with Neptune. The cherry is far more sweeter than the egg pudding, and it seems tastier than my chocolate pudding." She says, which causes me to smile even more.

"Well, I'm really glad you two liked it. It's my favorite flavor, so it makes me happy knowing you both like it." I say, and they both smile at me.

"See? I told you both that it tastes better eating with others." Neptune says, and both me and Noire nod at this.

"Heh, yeah, you're right." Noire says, then looks at her. "Um, Neptune…?" She says, causing Neptune to look at her.

"Hm? What's up, Noire?" She asks, and Noire sighs.

"Thank you…" She says, and gives off one of her rare, genuine smiles. I smile, and then stand up and stretch.

"Well, if we are all done, we should head back and get some sleep." I say, and they nod and stand up. As we walk to the inn we are all staying in, they each take one of my hands. _"Maybe things will work out after all…"_ I think to myself.

* * *

"Alright now, we'll go to Avenir again today. Is everyone ready?" IF asks, and Noire nods.

"Yeah, I'm all ready. How about you two?" She asks me and Neptune.

"I'm all-righty, righty!" Neptune says, and I smile.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this." I say, and notice Compa is smiling.

"The three of them are such good friends now." She says, and before Noire can say anything, we run into Chian.

"Oh, perfect timing, you five. Sorry to be abrupt here, but can you test a weapon again for me?" She asks, and I look at her in surprise.

"Wait, so you already modified it? That's really fast!" I say, and she chuckles a little.

"Well, your feedback kept me busy all night. It was rather exciting data. Anyways, if you can do it on the side with Avenir's work, I'd appreciate it." She says, and IF nods.

"All right, that's not a problem." She says, and Chian smiles.

"Okay then, here you go!" She says as she hands it to Neptune again.

"Alright, we're heading out then, Chian. Take care of yourself while we're gone." I say, and she nods.

"Don't worry about me, I can handle myself." She says as we leave.

* * *

A bit later, we arrive at what appears to be either a storage area or a closed factory. Neptune talks about us arriving very cheerfully, and as we are talking, Ganache approaches us.

"It's been a while, folks. I'd like to have work done again from you." He says in his usual cheerful voice.

"Heya! You must work a lot. Don't get burned out, alright?" Neptune says, and Ganache laughs at that.

"Do I really look that busy? I've been taking my breaks rather often. Since most of our work is handled by machines, things are easy." He says, then changes the subject. "Anyways, back to business. As you can see, it's been years since this facility was in use." He explains, and I frown.

"So why are we here, then?" I ask, and he smiles.

"There is a certain item we have not recovered since the closure. We want you to find it and bring it back to us." Ganache says, and Neptune smiles.

"That's it? Wow, sounds easier than before." She says, and Ganache chuckles a little.

"It does, doesn't it? Well, there's monsters in there now, so it's not that easy." He explains, and IF nods.

"I see, so you need us to take care of those, as well. So, what is this item we need to recover? It sounds important." She asks.

"It's a certain ore. We call it the "Lastelite." Just one gram holds energy to power a game console for ten thousand years. The excavation of it is difficult, so we'd like to recover what we have." Ganache explains, and my eyes go wide in shock.

"I've… never heard of such an ore before." IF says, and Noire nods in agreement.

"Well, of course, we held monopoly of this ore. We never disclosed it so we could hold full control of it." Ganache says, and I nod in understanding.

"Makes sense. It would give you an edge over any competition." I say, and Neptune raises her hand.

"Well, if it's that great, would you mind giving us a tiny bit?" She asks, and I facepalm.

"Neptune, if it's that good, I don't think they want anyone else to have any." I say, but Ganache just smiles.

"Well, if you want some, I certainly can spare a small bit. After all, we were able to work efficiently last time thanks to you." He says, to all of our surprise.

"Really?! Yay! I thought Avenir was kind of boring, but Ganache saved the day!" Neptune says, causing him to smile again.

"Well, I guess we shall head in and retrieve it then." I say, and we all walk into the factory. As we enter, we hear a door slamming behind us.

"What the…? Hey Ganache, what's going on?" I shout, hoping for a response.

"Oops, I guess I pressed something by mistake… Well, that's a lie. I closed it for my convenience. I'd like to ask you all to satisfy the monsters there." He says, and I glare at the door.

"You son of a… All that stuff about the ore was a lie, wasn't it?" I ask, and he laughs in response.

"You're correct about that. After all, I know you are assisting Chian of Passe, and were trying to get info on our exhibit plans." He says, causing me to sigh.

"Wait, how does he know that?" IF questions, and I look at her.

"He was the one who was watching us through the window yesterday. I thought I saw him when he turned a corner, but I wasn't sure so I gave him the benefit of doubt." I say, and everyone gasps.

"That's right. I know we would win regardless, but I'm the careful type, you know. Anyways, I don't have much time, so I must go. Farewell." He says, footsteps echoing as he walks away.

"Damn it!" I shout as I hit the door. "I swear, he will pay for trying to harm us…" I say, then feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn and see Noire there.

"Come on, Chris. We're going to find another way out, and we don't need you to be upset right now." She says softly, causing me to smile.

"Thank you, Noire. You're right, let's go." I say, and I move back to the group.

"Hey guys, look what I found!" Neptune says as she holds up a familiar looking disc.

"Nope, not going through that bullshit again." I say as I slice the disc in half with _Rakari._

"Why did you do that?" Noire asks, and I look at her as I sheath _Rakari_ again.

"An Enemy Disc. They spawn monsters over time. If there's one here, it explains why there are so many monsters here." I explain, and Noire gasps in shock.

"So the monsters come from Discs? That's an amazing discovery!" She says, and Compa looks at her.

"Is it really that amazing?" She asks, and Noire nods.

"Monsters started appearing three years ago. Each Land is trying to figure out the source, but none have found one yet." She explains, and I nod.

"Then we should disclose this information as soon as we can. This is the second one we have found, so it confirms that there are many of them." I say, and Neptune starts talking about her pudding fantasies.

"Wait a minute… Didn't we find a Key Fragment in the last place we found a disc?" Neptune asks, causing me to think for a bit, but when I realize it, my eyes to go wide.

"Well, I'll be damned, you're right! We might find the second fragment here!" I say, but then I notice that, while I was thinking, Neptune was teasing Noire again. I walk between them. "Alright you two, calm down. No need to tease each other." I say, causing Neptune to frown.

"Teasing her? I honestly think that she is in love with me." Neptune says, causing me to facepalm again.

"And I told you that I don't even like you! In fact, I'm starting to hate you now!" Noire shouts at her, and I just sigh into my hand.

"Seriously, cut it out girls. The three of you can do whatever at the hotel when we get out." IF interrupts, then everyone is silent. Then everyone freaks out.

"H-H-H-HOTEL?!" Noire shouts at the top of her lungs, a huge blush on her face.

"I-Iffy?!" Neptune questions as a blush spreads across her face as well.

"Whoa, IF, we are not even in a relationship yet!" I say, feeling my face burning. I look at Compa and notice she seems to have no clue what is going on. Thank goodness for that.

"What's the matter with you guys?" IF asks, then realization dawns on her face. "Oh, no no no! Don't misunderstand me! I didn't mean it in that sense! Not at all! Get your minds out of the gutter!" IF freaks out, obviously embarrassed.

"Oh Iffy, you really are cute when you blush like that." Neptune says, and Noire smiles and nods in agreement, as does Compa.

"Alright, enough of teasing IF. We need to get out of here." I say, earning a nod from everyone, and an embarrassed IF rushing ahead of me.

* * *

"Are we there yet? I'm feeling exhausted…" Neptune complains, and Compa nods in agreement.

"Yes, I'm feeling tired too…" She says, causing both me and IF to sigh.

"You two really need more exercise…" IF says, and I chuckle a little at that.

"That they do…" I say.

"Guys, can you come here real quick?" Noire calls from behind us. We walk towards her, and she points at the wall. "Isn't that one of those discs you were talking about?" She asks, pointing at a disc hanging from the ceiling.

"Crap, it is! Move! Let me deal with it!" I shout, but before my sword managed to cut it, a giant robot crab thing spawned from it. Luckily, the disc is gone now. But now we have a monster to deal with.

"Neptune, transform! You and I will deal with this." I shout as I transform into Sage Heart. I look at her and see Purple Heart standing there.

"Alright, let's do this!" Purple Heart shouts, and we charge at it.

* * *

"Well, that was easier than expected." I say, having transformed back into my human form.

"Yeah, and look, there's the exit!" Neptune shouts. I look, and notice that it is indeed the exit.

"Alright, let's go!" I shout and we all run out the exit.

"You know, I wonder what Ganache expected to accomplish by trapping us in there…" I say while thinking.

"Yeah, I doubt it was to get rid of us, but with the Enemy Discs, there had to have been a motive…" IF says, and Neptune pouts at that moment.

"Oh, don't be such worrywarts, let's just go back to Chian's place." She says, and that causes my eyes to go wide.

"That's right! Chian is in danger!" I shout, causing IF to look at me, then realize what I meant.

"That must be why he trapped us! He wanted us out of the way while went after Chian!" She shouts, and I nod.

"Come on, you guys, we need to get back there now!" Neptune shouts, and I notice Noire seems rather angry. But that doesn't matter right now. We run towards the city to reach Chian.

* * *

As we arrive where Chian is, we notice that the city is in ruins. Luckily, Chian is unharmed.

"Thank goodness we made it! What happened here, Chian?" I ask her, and she shakes her head.

"No time, it's too dangerous here! I'm going to the Basilicom to ask Lady Black Heart to help! You all need to get to a safe place, though!" She shouts, but Noire shakes her head.

"We're not going anywhere." She says, and Neptune nods in agreement.

"Right! We owe Ganache a little payback." She says, and we all run towards the destruction. When we arrive, we hear Ganache laughing like a maniac and ordering a giant robot around.

"Enough of this! We won't let you get away with this!" Noire shouts, and Ganache looks back at us in surprise and counts us.

"Well, it seems you all made it out safe." He says, and I frown.

"Did you really think we would lose to those things?" Noire asks, and Ganache shakes his head and laughs.

"Oh, of course not. But they did buy me some time. And with that time, I was able to demonstrate our new weapon." He says, and Noire looks furious.

"You… fiend…" She manages, causing him to laugh again.

"Fiend? Well, even if that is so, what are you going to do about it? You lost your power to Avenir. You're weak now." He taunts, but Noire doesn't falter.

"That's not true!" She shouts, and he looks at her with curiosity in his eyes.

"Oh? But you are aware of your lack of power, aren't you? You were away for too long. If anything, you should blame yourself. Hardly anyone reveres you in Lastation anymore. Oh, but I do appreciate you for making it easy to take over the Land." He says, and notices Noire is silent. "Hm? Nothing to say against my logic?" He asks.

"So what…?" Noire asks, catching Ganache by surprise. "Who cares about power and control? If you think I'm here just for vengeance, you're dead wrong. I'm here for the people who believe in me!" Noire shouts, and I smile at her conviction.

"Iffy…? I really don't like the seriousness right now." Neptune says, and IF sighs.

"Just be patient and let them finish talking." She says, causing Neptune to pout. After a bit of arguing, the mood already gone, Noire turns back towards Ganache.

"It's time for me to send that machine into the junk heap. Neptune, Chris, transform now!" She shouts, and we both enter our CPU forms.

"What?! That form… but, why are you here?! And him! How is he able to as well?!" Ganache questions as he backs away. He then looks at Noire. "You're supposed to be her enemy! Why?!" He asks, and Noire glares at him.

"For those who believe in me, I'll do anything for them—anything! Access!" She shouts, and is enveloped in light. When it dissipates, Black Heart is standing in her place. Purple Heart looks shocked.

"Noire?! That form?!" She questions, but Black Heart shakes her head.

"Details later! First, let's get rid of that contraption!" She shouts, and I nod.

"I agree, oh, and welcome back, Lady Black Heart." I say.

"It's good to be back. Now let's go!" She shouts. I look at the machine and notice it is wielding a giant mace and axe, and is floating.

"We need to take this thing out quickly before it causes more destruction! Neptune, you use one of your skills, Noire, combo attack, now!" I shout, and they both nod. Purple Heart charges and attacks first.

 _ **"I won't lose! Critical Edge!"**_ She shouts, activating her newest skill against the machine. It seems to put a decent dent in it, but it's nowhere near enough to finish it.

"Let's do this, Noire!" I shout, _Rakari_ changes to its flame form, and we charge. _**"Blazing…"** _ I start, slashing five times.

 _ **"Ribbon…"**_ Black Heart continues as she strikes it five more times, and we both launch it into the air.

 _ **"Explosion!"**_ We both shout at the same time, throwing the machine into the ground and causing an explosion. When the dust clears, it seems that the machine was destroyed, or at least disabled. But to be safe, we cut it to pieces.

"With the three of us, this was too easy… Wait, where's Ganache?!" Black Heart asks, and I sigh.

"It would seem that he got away…" I say, and this time she sighs.

"Well, no matter. I'll deal with him next time." She says, and Purple Heart walks up to us.

"Speaking of, Noire. That form of yours…" She starts, and Compa walks up as well.

"You look just like Nep-Nep transformed." She says, causing Black Heart to laugh.

"Well of course! After all, I'm the CPU of Lastation." She says, causing Purple Heart to flinch.

"What?!" She shouts, and then Black Heart continues.

"I had my reasons, but first off, I'm sorry for hiding my identity. That said, thanks for your help. I couldn't have won without your help." She explains, and Purple Heart sighs.

"I didn't expect Noire to be Lastation's CPU…" She says, and Compa nods in agreement, but IF shakes her head.

"Not me, I knew all along." IF says, shocking Black Heart.

"No way! The only one I told was Chris, and that was because he confronted me the night you found me." She says, and everyone looks at me. I sigh, and disengage my CPU form.

"She's telling the truth. I agreed to keep it a secret, but it seems the secret is already out." I say, then Purple Heart speaks up.

"That's right! You know who I am, right? Can you please tell me?" She asks, and Black Heart thinks about this.

"You may as well tell her. It's not much of a secret anymore." IF says, and I look at her in surprise.

"When did you find out?" I ask, and she shrugs.

"When Noire transformed. It was the only way it made sense." She explains, and then Compa realizes what we mean.

"Wait, really…? Nep-Nep is…?!" She says, and Purple Heart sighs.

"Really? Everyone knows?! Can someone just please tell me?!" She asks, and Black Heart sighs now.

"Alright… Neptune, you're the CPU of Planeptune. You're Purple Heart." She says, and Purple Heart is silent for a few moments.

"…Seriously? Me, a CPU? Planeptune?! What do I do?!" She asks, and I sigh.

"Neptune, just change back for now." I say, and she sighs.

"O-Okay, I will." She says, and changes back to Neptune. "But really, is me… Being me, okay with everyone?" She asks.

"Who would have expected her to be the CPU of Planeptune?" IF asks, and Compa just looks confused.

"What is going on though? All I did was see Nep-Nep and Chris fall from the… The sky!" She realizes, and IF sighs.

"Did you finally notice? Everything around Nep isn't humanly possible." IF says.

"For the record, falling from the sky is not normal even for a goddess…" Black Heart mentions.

"Um, so is everyone okay that I'm the CPU of Planeptune?" Neptune asks again, and I sigh.

"It's fine, Neptune. Besides, nothing can change who you are." I say, and Black Heart nods.

"Chris is right. And don't worry, I don't plan to fight. I need to rebuild Lastation first." She says, and we all nod.

* * *

About a day later, we are back at the inn. Things seem to be calm for now.

"Hey, Noire, do you plan on revealing yourself to Chian?" IF asks her, and she shakes her head.

"Now isn't the time. To be honest, showing myself now would make things worse. So I'll get back in shape before showing myself." Noire explains, and we all nod.

"Do you have a plan?" Compa asks, and Noire shakes her head.

"No, I'm just going to do the best I can to help everyone here." She says, and I smile.

"Now that's something I can agree with." I say, then add "If you need any help though, I will be more than willing to assist you, Lady Black Heart." I bow after saying that, causing her to blush.

"Two things, first, just call me Noire. I prefer it that way. And second, don't bow to me. You're a CPU yourself, while not belonging to a nation, you are still the only male to become one." She says, and I nod.

"Very well, Noire. I admit, that does make it easier for me." I say, then look at Neptune, who is sound asleep. "I wonder how she will handle her duties…" I mutter to myself. Chian walks into the room at that moment.

"Oh, hey Chian! How's the factory doing now?" IF asks, and Chian smiles.

"It's almost all cleaned up now now thanks to your help. We are finishing it tomorrow. Sadly, most of it is in unworkable condition, but hey, not much we can do about it." She says, shrugging.

"Huh, is that so?" Compa asks, and Neptune wakes up right after that.

"Huh…? Oh, when did Chian arrive?" She asks, causing Chian to laugh.

"Just now. I didn't mean to wake you." She says.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Noire asks her, and she sighs.

"Well, first I need to get the factory in working condition again. After that, it's preparing for the Expo." Chian says, and IF frowns.

"That means for now we will be out of work…" She says, and Chian nods.

"Yeah, sorry about that. When it gets closer to the Expo, I would like you guys to test it more." She says, and we all nod.

"All right then, oh, and here's the weapon." Neptune says as she hands it back to Chian, who takes it gratefully.

"Well, since we have no leads on the Key Fragment, nor any work to do here, we should head back to Planeptune." IF says, and I laugh at this, causing her to look at me in confusion. "What's so funny?" She asks, and I look at her.

"Well, about the Key Fragment…" I say as I pull it out of my pocket, causing everyone to look at me in surprise. "I found this one in the wreckage of that machine. Kinda odd, but it might have been the power source." I explain.

"Wait… So does that mean…?" Neptune starts, and I nod.

"That I'm going to give my answer? That's right." I say, then sigh and sit on the bed. "Look, I thought about it for a long while, even asking Histoire about what I should do. I like both of you, and I know if I pick one over the other, the one I don't pick will be hurt, and I really don't want to be the cause of that… I guess, what I'm trying to say is… I… I love you both equally, and I can't choose one over the other." I say, then close my eyes and brace for the worst. I notice how quiet it is, and slowly open my eyes. I see both Neptune and Noire just staring at me, both of them blushing brightly. They look at each other, nod, and look back at me.

"We… had a feeling this might happen…" Neptune starts, and Noire nods again.

"And so we came to an agreement, and… Well, maybe this will show you our response." Noire finishes, and before I can ask what they mean, they both move towards me and kiss me at the same time. Everyone else blushes and turns away. _"So this is what Histoire meant…"_ I think to myself as they pull away.

"Wow… I… So you are both okay with this?" I ask, and they both nod.

"Yeah, we both like each other, and we are both in love with you, so we decided on this to make things easier if you couldn't choose. Besides, Noire here is in love with both of us, so it works out for all of us." Neptune says, causing Noire to blush and stutter.

"W-W-W-What are y-y-you talking about?! I…" She sighs, and smiles. "I guess there's no point in denying it if we are getting together. Yes, I am… in love with both of you… Jeeze, it feels uncomfortable to just admit it like that…" She says, shuffling a little. I chuckle, then stand up and walk towards her.

"Well, if the three of us are all getting together, then I may as well do this." I say, and she looks at me in confusion, but before she can say anything, I pull Noire in and kiss her. At first, she seems surprised, but then she accepts it. I hear Neptune saying something along the lines of "No fair!" as we kissed. I picked up the taste of mint from her lips. As we broke away, I could see how red her face was.

"Wow… That was… unexpected." Noire says, and I just smile and shrug.

"Hey, I have to keep you two on your toes somehow. Now then, I think it's my very first friend in this world's turn." I say as I turn towards Neptune, who surprises me by jumping into my arms and pressing her lips against mine. As we kiss, I'm not surprised to pick up a hint of pudding from her lips, though I also pick up a hint of cherry, which makes me smile on the inside. As we separate, she smiles at me brightly.

"Well then, this adventure just got more interesting." Neptune says, and both me and Noire smile.

"Indeed it did, and I think everyone else left. I think it's time for us to go. We don't want them thinking we are doing anything… obscene." I say, and they nod very quickly. We all leave together, hand in hand.

* * *

 **A/N: FINALLY! I figured out a way to make it work! Chapter 9 complete! And HOLY CRAP 6k WORDS! This could have been 2-3 more chapters! Eh, oh well, no use crying over spilled milk. Anyways, starting here, the story will change a LOT and the possibilities of what could happen are endless. So, the Key Fragment Chris found is indeed an actual Fragment, but there will be something different happening later. As for the other goddesses, that is something I haven't planed for yet. Also, Noire is in love with both Chris AND Neptune! Who would have thought? And who would have thought he would choose both?! Well, obviously I did, but anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave a review if you wish, also PM me if you want to ask anything about the story. I may answer, but I may not depending on the question. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next Chapter.**


	11. Chapter 10: The Return to Planeptune

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: Alright, sorry about the wait, people. I swear to the True Goddess that school is out to get me. First off, thank you all so much for the positive feedback and ideas. I have to say, I am amazed that I even reached 10 views and 1 follower, let alone 5.5k views and 34 followers. Seriously, thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Anyways, the story from now on is going to change a decent amount, so it will not be completely based off the game anymore. Reason for that is a new permanent party member, who should become obvious due to the updated characters. Also, I plan to add the Lily Rank system from now on, and the ranks will appear at the end of the chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and prepare for... Ugh, without further delay, let's start Chapter 10!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Return to Planeptune**

"So wait, you're coming with us, Noire?" I ask, sounding surprised. I had believed she was going to stay to oversee the reconstruction. She smiles as she nods at me.

"That's correct, Chris. Normally, I'd stay behind to help rebuild, but… well… you and Neptune happened. Not like that is the only reason though! I just don't trust you and Neptune alone together, so there!" She says while blushing, causing Neptune to laugh.

"Oh Nowa, you know you just don't want to be away from us, you adorable tsundere." She says, causing Noire to stutter.

"It's Noire, not Nowa, Neptune! Besides, I figured you needed my help, so I'm going with you." She says, and I sigh while chuckling.

"Whatever you say, Noire. Never the less, it's great to have you aboard. Now that we have three CPUs on our side, this journey has gotten a lot easier." I say, and she smiles again.

"Good to be aboard, Chris. Though, I don't think I asked, but how did you become a CPU?" Noire asks, and I sigh.

"I think I told you already, but honestly, I don't know how it happened. Me and Histoire have been discussing it for the past week or so, but have no genuine leads so far. We believe it may have been the stone that was forced down my throat when I recovered my sword and the ground collapsed from under me, Neptune, and Compa." I explain, and she nods.

"I see… It's strange, though. I've never heard of a human becoming a CPU, because as far as I know, me and the other goddesses were actually born as CPUs, and there has never been a male CPU." Noire explains, causing me to frown.

"That reminds me, Histoire had said it was possibly an item from an alternate Gamindustri that this one lost contact with. That could be why." I say, and this time Noire frowns.

"Hmm, strange, that's the first I've heard of another Gamindustri… Oh well, no point in creating theories about it right now. So where are we heading now?" She asks, to which Compa speaks up.

"We're heading back to Planeptune. Once we get back to my home, we can see if we can talk to Histy with the fragment!" She says cheerfully, and I nod.

"Yeah, after we got the first of the Key Fragments, Histoire was able to talk to all of us. So, hopefully, the same thing will happen again." I explain, and Noire nods in understanding.

"I understand, but I just feel the need to say this, for Neptune's sake at the very least. We cannot tell anyone that we are CPUs. The nations are having their own troubles, and we don't need them thinking we are invading." Noire says, and I nod.

"Agreed, we only tell people we are CPUs if absolutely needed. We don't need it even harder to find the Key Fragments." I say.

"Alright, so, for now, we head back to Compa's place, then, depending on the time, we either attempt to contact Histoire, or we sleep and try it tomorrow." IF says, and we nod. We then all head towards the sky harbor and leave for Planeptune.

 ***Lily Rank Up***

* * *

By time we reach Compa's place, it is already night time. We decide to put off contacting Histoire until the morning, and all decide to sleep for the night. That normally wouldn't be such a big deal. However, both Neptune and Noire decided that they wanted to sleep with me. So now I'm laying in bed with the two girls on either side of me, both fast asleep. What, did you think I meant the other version of sleep with me? Come on, I've only been in a relationship with them for one full day. That would be way too fast to do that. Anyways, as I finally doze off, I hear Histoire's voice speaking to me.

"I'm not one to brag about being right, but I told you so." She says, and I laugh.

"Yes, yes you did. And I have to say, I'm glad you were right. I was scared that I was going to be beaten to death by the two of them when I told them my feelings." I say, causing Histoire to giggle.

"Well, I'm contacting you tonight because I have a few things I wanted to talk to you about." She says.

"I had a feeling that was the case. Are any of those things about my CPU abilities by any chance?" I ask. I hear her let out a sigh.

"Yes, I finally figured out what gave you the powers you have now. However I will leave that for last. First off, about the Key Fragment you found." She says, and I frown.

"What's wrong? Is it a fake fragment?" I ask, and I hear her laugh lightly.

"No, nothing like that. It's a genuine fragment, but the problem is that it's only half of the fragment. It would seem that someone cut it in two or more pieces, so you will have to go back to Lastation later." She explains, and I sigh.

"Figures. If it was powering that huge robot, it makes sense that Avenir would want to try to make it power more than one of them…" I say, and Histoire sighs.

"Indeed, and I fear the next one may be stronger since they will have time to make upgrades on it before you return. But enough of that. The second thing is where I want you to go next." She says, and I nod. I get the feeling she can see me, even though I can't see her.

"Alright, so who am I visiting next? Lady Green Heart, or that rude Lady White Heart?" I ask, and Histoire laughs at that.

"She isn't that bad, she is just angered easily. But this time you will be going to Leanbox, and visiting Lady Green Heart while hunting for the Fragment there." She says, and I sigh in relief.

"Thank goodness, Green Heart seemed to be the nicer of the goddesses when I was up in Celestia, considering how she offered me a chance to surrender." I say, and hear Histoire giggle again.

"Yes, she is one of the kinder goddesses. Just a heads up though, she is what people in your world would call an otaku and a hardcore gamer." She explains, and I perk up at that.

"A gamer and otaku, you say? Sounds like someone I would get along with very well. I'm looking forward to meeting her on better terms than last time." I say, and Histoire giggles again.

"Just be careful you don't make Neptune and Noire jealous. Those two can be vicious when they want." Histoire warns, and I chuckle and nod.

"Understood. Besides, I'm not sure I could handle another girl in my life. I really don't need a harem to deal with…" I say, and Histoire sighs softly, just barely loud enough for me to hear.

"Well, things will get interesting for you, then… Anyways, the third thing I want to speak to you about is the Lily Rank system." She says, causing me to acquire a confused look on my face.

"Lily Rank system? What is that?" I ask.

"Basically, it shows the level of your relationship with anyone who is in or was in your party, for example, the Lily Rank you and Neptune have is at 8, which is close to being maxed out, followed by Noire being at 7. Not only does it show how strong your friendship, but the higher it is, the better you work together in a fight, giving you new combo skills and stat boosts." Histoire explains, causing me to frown again.

"Stat boosts? What are you talking about? I don't remember this being a full RPG game." I say, causing her to laugh.

"What, did you not notice the bracelet on your arm?" Histoire asks, causing my frown to deepen.

"Bracelet? What brace- Oh… that bracelet." I say as I lift my arm and see what looks like a bracelet made of emeralds on my wrist. I try to spin it around, but notice it seems to be stuck. I look at the top of my arm and notice a button on it, which I press. When I do, a menu opens up , and I see the list of the entire party, starting with me at the top, our HP, SP, EXP, and something called the EXE Drive. I also notice a list of different options, including items, party setup, and other things. I look over at everyones levels, and notice that all the girls are around level thirty. _"Hm, interesting… so the higher the level we reach, the more skills and stats we gain… So that's why Neptune called it EXP grinding… wait, why the hell am I level fifty!?"_ I think to myself in surprise. Not only is it going by RPG rules, but I'm almost double the level of the girls. I check my equipment, and sigh as I notice my normal outfit give me terrible defense. I'm about to close it when I notice a tab in my equipment labeled "Familiar's Stats and Equipment." Curious, I tap it and see Faolan appear onscreen. He has no equipment, considering there wasn't really a way for a Dogoo to use equipment, it made sense. I look at his level and notice he is level twenty-five, half my level. I look through his information and notice a skill that was labeled as ?. I tapped it, and it the skill information came up saying "When the familiar is used in battle, it gains five times the normal experience. However, if it is not used in battle, it only gains one-fifth of the normal experience." _"Hm, seems like I need to use him in battle, and if I do he could become even stronger than I am…"_ I think to myself as I tap the button on the bracelet again, closing the menu. "Well, I didn't expect all that… I learned more about Faolan in that menu as well as how strong everyone is." I say, and Histoire giggles again.

"Yes, that bracelet is useful for a lot of stuff, including item storage. I still find it amusing you never noticed it before. Anyways, as I said, the Lily Rank system is very useful, and it could save your life with the stat boosts, like back when Black Heart hit you with her unique skill. If it weren't for your rank with Neptune, you would have been critically injured." She explains, and I nod in response.

"I see. I still find it odd that I am almost double the level of the girls, though…. I mean, I didn't fight as much as Neptune and Compa have because of when I lost _Rakari_ …" I say, and Histoire sighs.

"Well, when you wake up, you can check your skills and stats more, and maybe then you will understand. Anyways, I think it's time for me to talk about your CPU powers." Histoire says, and I smile and nod.

"Yes, please! I'd like to know how I got these powers." I say, and Histoire laughs.

"I see that you are very eager to learn what gave you your powers. Very well, please examine the display in front of you." She says, and a screen showing a body, my body, presumeably, and it shows the activities inside. At first I don't notice anything wrong, but then I notice what seems to be a diamond shaped object inside my body, close to my heart.

"Histoire, what is that object near my heart? Is it safe?" I ask, then gasp as I notice a power symbol on it, similar to the symbol in a CPU's eyes.

"That is the stone you swallowed two weeks ago. Turns out, it is from an alternate dimension as I thought originally. It is called a CPU Memory, and it's what makes people become a CPU in that dimension. And considering how you didn't become a horrifying monster when you swallowed it and absorbed its power, it should be perfectly safe now." Histoire explains, and I sway on my feet, feeling lightheaded.

"So, that thing is what made me a CPU? That's… very strange… It's almost like learning you have a new organ that was never discovered before…" I say, and I can hear Histoire sigh.

"I can understand. There are a couple things I should inform you due to this circumstance. First of all, you won't age anymore, similar to the goddesses. Second, and possibily the worst of it for you, you will not be able to return to your own world after this." She tells me, and I sigh.

"I had a feeling that would be the case. Still, it's a shame that I won't be able to see my friends again… Or my step parents in that case…" I say, and Histoire laughs dryly.

"I know, and I'm sorry Chris. Had I known that this would happen, I wouldn't have requested your help. I am truly sorry, Chris." She says, causing me to laugh. "Pardon? I didn't realize I had said something amusing." She says, sounding annoyed.

"Histoire, don't worry. You bringing me here is quite possibly the greatest thing to happen. I mean, if it weren't for you, I never would have met Neptune and Norie. So for that, you have my thanks, and you do not need to apologize for anything, Histoire." I say, and then I hear what sounds like soft crying. "Histoire?! What's wrong?" I ask.

"N-Nothing… I… I'm just happy that you are not angry with me. I was worried that you would hate me for bringing you here." She says, and I feel my heart drop.

"Histoire, I'm sorry that you thought that. But please, just know that I could never hate you. If it weren't for you, I would have died many times over. So please, don't cry. I feel terrible when I hear you cry." I say, trying to sound comforting.

"Thank you, Chris. It means a lot to hear you say that… Heh, I can't believe I actually thought you would hate me… Anyways, the timer for using your CPU form seems to have increased to three hours a day, so that's a good thing." She says, changing the subject and sounding happier.

"Yeah, that is a very good thing. I still don't know why my HDD deactivated when Noire had fled after the fight, but that doesn't really matter. Anyways, is there anything else you need to tell me before I go, Histoire?" I ask.

"No, that should be all. I'll be sure to contact you again if something comes up, Chris." She says, and I nod.

"Alright, after some time to relax, we will head to Leanbox. Are you going to be able to communicate to the others through the partial Fragment though?" I ask, and I hear her giggle again.

"Yes, don't worry, they will hear from me soon. Anyways, it's time for you to wake up." Histoire says, and everything goes white.

* * *

As I wake up, I notice that both Noire and Neptune have already left the room. I smile, then activate the menu with my bracelet. I scroll down my skills, and notice two I didn't know about. The first one is called Elemental Protection. Apparently, it raises my defense stats, plus my resistance to elemental attacks. The other is… familiar… but also different. It is labeled Limit Breaker, and is says it increases the experience I gain a huge amount, but doesn't say the multiplier or anything. As I close the menu to think, I hear a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"I'll give you a hint, who is the main character here?" A voice responds cheerfully, and I laugh.

"Come in, Neptune. The door is open." I call out, and she enters the room looking cheerful as always. "So what's up?" I ask her.

"Oh, nothing. We just talked to Histy, who told us about the fragment being just half of one, along with our next location to go is Leanbox." She says, and I nod.

"Yeah, she told me that last night. However, for now, I think we should be taking a couple weeks break before we go." I say, and she nods happily.

"Awesome! We had been talking about taking a break as well, so it's nice you agree." She says, and I smile.

"Well, that's good to know. Let's try to have some fun, then." I say, and we both walk out of the room.

* * *

A couple days later, I got a message from Noire to meet her somewhere in the city, so I went out find her. I arrived at the location she said to meet at, and looked around. I noticed a lot of people around, and can't help but wonder what was going on. As I was thinking this, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see Noire standing there in a… is that a magical girl costume?! Yep, Noire was dressed up as a magical girl. As I look at her in surprise, she blushes and looks away.

"Stop staring, you're embarrassing me…" She says, and I shake my head to clear it.

"Sorry, Noire, I was just surprised to see you dressed up like that. You're into cosplay, I take it?" I ask her, and she nods nervously.

"Y-Yes, it's one of my main hobbies for when I am alone. I figured that since you, me, and Neptune are… together… I should show you. So… what do you think?" She asks, and I smile at her while wrapping her up in a hug.

"You look beautiful, Noire. I admit, I was surprised to see you dressed like that after knowing how serious you are most of the time. Personally, I think it's awesome that you like cosplay. It suits you." I say, and her blush grows bigger.

"T-Thanks… I'm happy that you are okay with it. N-Not that it really matters what you think… idiot…" Noire says, and I smile.

"So… What did you invite me here for?" I ask her, and she perks up immediately.

"Oh, right! You see, there's a cosplay convention going on today, and I was wondering if you would perhaps like to join me?" She asks, and I smile again.

"I would love to, Noire. I guess this is technically our first date then, huh?" I say, and she blushes again.

"Y-Yeah! That's right! Our… first date…" She says, a small smile forming on her face.

"So, that's why there are so many people… Well, shall we head on over, Noire?" I ask, holding my hand out to her.

"Y-yeah! Let's go, Chris!" She says, taking my hand and guiding me over to the convention area.

* * *

A few hours later, we are leaving the area. Noire is holding an Ancient Dragon plushie that I managed to win her in a ball throw game. She seems to have enjoyed herself. I had bought myself a costume of a legendary tactician, complete with a tan undershirt, and a dark violet coat.

"H-Hey, Chris? Thank you for today… I had a lot of fun." Noire says, smiling at me. I smile back at her.

"I had a lot of fun as well. Thank you for inviting me today, Noire. We should do this again sometime." I say, and she blushes again and nods.

"Yes! I would love to do this again!" She says happily, and I smile again.

"Great! We'll have to keep an eye out for more conventions." I say, then stop after noticing Noire had stopped walking. "Noire? What's wrong, are you al- Mmph!" I'm cut off by her pressing her lips against mine. I'm surprised at first, but I then press into the kiss. After about a minute, we separate, and she looks up at me happily.

"Chris… I… I love you…" She says, and I smile at her.

"And I love you, too, Noire." I say, and we then start kissing again. I get the feeling that we will be here for awhile…

 ***Lily Rank Up***

* * *

At the start of our second week of relaxing, I get a message from Neptune this time. It says to meet her by the pudding shop that was down the street. Laughing at the fact that pudding is still the main thing on her mind, I make my way to the shop. Once I arrive at the shop, I see Neptune waving at me happily as ever. I walk over and sit down next to her.

"Heya, Chrissie! Glad you could make it!" She says cheerfully, and I smile.

"Hey there, Neptune. May I ask why you asked me to come out here to meet you?" I ask, and she gives me a silly smile.

"Well, I wanted to enjoy pudding with you! Is it wrong for a girl to want to spend time with her boyfriend?" She asks and I just laugh.

"No, no it's not wrong at all. So you wanted to go on a date with me in other words?" I ask, and she nods.

"That's right! See, I knew you could understand me!" Neptune says happily, and I just smile at her.

"Well, what is it you have planned?" I ask, and she thinks for a moment.

"Well… First we could eat pudding, then we could maybe go see a movie?" Neptune suggests, and I nod.

"Alright, that sounds good." I say, and we both stand and enter the shop.

* * *

A few hours later, we are leaving the movie theater. It was pretty good, reminding me of a movie from my world. Both of us were crying at the end, but hey, you try watching something get put to sleep without crying. As we walk back to Compa's place, Neptune looks up and smiles at me.

"I had a lot of fun, Chrissie! Sure, the movie was rather sad at the end, but it was a great day still!" She says happily, causing me to smile.

"Well, I'm glad you had such a good time. We should do this again sometime." I say, and she nods.

"Oh, don't you worry Chrissie, we will be doing something like this again." Neptune says, and I laugh.

"Well, since we are almost back, I'm just going to do this…!" I say as I lift her up off the ground, surprising her.

"Whoa, hey, what are you doi- Mmph…" She is cut off by me pressing my lips against hers. She quickly presses in, obviously enjoying it. About a minute has passed before our lips part. Neptune has a silly smile on her face and is blushing.

"Darn it, Chrissie… Why do you have to be so easy to love?" She asks me, and I smile at her.

"I couldn't tell you. I still wonder the same about you, my dear Neptune." I say, and she laughs shortly before we press our lips together again. After a few minutes we finally separate, and I put her back on the ground. We walk back home, hand in hand.

 ***Lily Rank Up***

* * *

Near the end of the last week we took to relax, I'm standing in my room while examining Faolan's stats and level. I whistle when I see that his level has reached double what mine is. I had taken him to a few dungeons to train him, and it seems his experience boost skill really helps.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to all get together and head for Leanbox…" I say to myself as I leave the room.

 ***Current Lily Ranks***

 **Neptune: 9 (Lover)**

 **Noire: 8 (Lover)**

 **Compa: 5 (Good friends)**

 **IF: 5 (Good friends)**

* * *

 **A/N: Annnnnd that's a wrap! Chapter 10 is now complete! Jeeze, this was longer than I originally planned. I really get carried away while writing. Anyways, yay, Noire joins the party permanently before they head to Leanbox! Also, it is finally confirmed that the stone he swallowed was in fact a CPU Memory! How did it get there, you ask? Well, that would be a pointless backstory to explain, so I'm not going to bother. Anyways, I figured that since there had been two weeks between their return to Planeptune and their departure for Leanbox that I would have some events take place in that time frame. Chris has gone on first dates with both Neptune and Noire now, so yeah, that happened. And yes, the cosplay Chris did was of Robin from Fire Emblem Awakening. I can't help it, it's my favorite Nintendo game so far. Anyways, thank you so much for reading, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think. Also feel free to PM me any predictions you may have, or even ideas you may have as well. Again, thank you so much for reading, and I will see you in the next Chapter.**


	12. Chapter 11: To Leanbox!

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: Well, it's time to kick off Chapter 11. First off, I'd like to thank everyone of you who has read my story, especially those of you following it. You guys make this story worth writing, even though I enjoy writing it. You guys are all awesome, and thank you for supporting me through this story. Anyways, as for the Lily Rank system, I'm making Lily Rank 10 the maximum level, so Neptune and Noire are close to maxing out. As I said in my profile, I do NOT plan to add IF and Compa as love interests, so yeah. Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: To Leanbox!**

"You know, when I was talking about us heading to Leanbox today, I didn't expect it to be for this kind of reason…" I say as we head to the sky harbor again. Apparently, IF was looking at Green Heart's blog when Neptune discovered a hidden link on it. Turns out, it was Green Heart's diary, and it showed that she was indeed a huge gamer. IF is refusing to believe that the goddess she looks up to is a gamer, and so she and Neptune made a bet over it, and since it was a week's worth of pudding on the line, Neptune decided to take off immediately.

"Well, we all know how Nep-Nep is when it comes to pudding, Arc. It shouldn't surprise you anymore considering how the two of you are together now." Compa says, earning a dry chuckle out of me.

"Don't forget Noire in that, but yeah, you have a point there, Compa. Well, at least we will be able to search for the Key Fragment as well." I say, and Noire nods.

"That's true. We need to find those fragments, and this gives us the perfect excuse to go to Leanbox, as much as I hate to admit it. It is a terrible reason…" She says, and I laugh in response.

"Well, hopefully we have a better greeting at the Basilicom there than we did in Lastation's. Those Avenir people in there were rude…" IF says, causing Noire to sigh.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about them. I've been trying to get rid of them, but they have taken control far more than I though. It's… not fun being treated as an object rather than a person…" She says, and I pull her into a hug.

"It's not your fault, Noire. They had just gotten in too deep before you returned. I promise you that I will help you take back your nation no matter what it takes, so don't worry." I say to her with a smile on my face. She looks up at me with a blush on her face, not to mention a look of surprise.

"R-really? You'll really help me?" She asks, and I nod.

"Yes, I will. When we return to Lastation for the remaining piece of the Key Fragment, I'll make sure we don't leave until Avenir is gone. You have my word, Noire." I say, and she smiles.

"Thank you… you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that, Chris." She says, then kisses me on my cheek, earning both a blush and a smile from me.

"Hey, love birds! Hurry up, or we're going to leave you behind!" IF yells back to us from a distance away. We both blush as we run to catch up.

 ***Lily Rank Up!***

* * *

A while later, we have gained clearance to use the sky harbor to go to Leanbox, and have crossed the bridge and arrived. As soon as we arrive, we look for the Basilicom, which we actually find with surprising ease. This one looks like a church of sorts on the outside, which I guess is fitting since the people do worship their goddess. We enter the door, and Neptune steps forward.

"Hello! Is there anyone here? We're here to meet the CPU!" She shouts, and an older man approaches us.

"My, what a lively group of young ladies we have here." He says, then notices me standing there. "Oh, and you as well, young man. Forgive me for not noticing you." He says quickly, and I smile reassuringly at him.

"Don't worry, it's fine. I am the only male in our group, so it's not surprising that you didn't notice me." I say, and he sighs in relief.

"Thank you for understanding. My name is Yvoire. May I ask what brings you all here today?" The man, Yvoire, asks.

"Oh, we came to see the CPU, is she around?" Neptune asks, and Yvoire shakes his head slowly.

"How unfortunate, meeting time with the CPU is already done for today." He says, and Neptune pouts.

"Aw, come on. She's here, isn't she? We wouldn't be too long, okay?" She asks, trying to convince him, but IF shakes her head.

"Nep, we are the ones who were late, we can come again tomorrow." She says, and I nod.

"IF has a point. It is our fault that we are late, after all." I say, and Neptune sighs.

"I thought you were all over the goddess, Iffy. What happened?" She asks, causing IF to flinch.

"W-Well yeah, but this isn't the best place to say that!" IF says, and Compa sighs.

"Innocence is so cruel…" She says, and I laugh at the irony in that sentence.

"I have to say, it pleases me to hear that you think so highly of the Lady. However, rules are rules, and besides, the Lady has something she needs to do." Yvoire says, causing us to sigh.

"Oh well, we can just take a look around the city to pass the time today, at least." IF says, and we nod in agreement.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Eviler…" Neptune starts, and Yvoire sighs.

"It's Yvoire, young lady." He says, but Neptune ignores him.

"Have you heard of something called a Key Fragment?" She asks, and he sighs again.

"Did you even get my name?" He asks, and I shake my head.

"Don't bother, she won't listen. Anyways, this here is a Key Fragment. We were wondering if you have heard of or seen one before, Yvoire." I say, holding my hand out with a fragment in it. He looks at it, then shakes his head.

"While I'm glad at least you got my name, never in all my years have I seen something like this. However, the Lady might know, considering she has been around far longer than I have." He says, and we sigh.

"Oh well, we will come back tomorrow to ask her then." I say, and he nods.

"Very well, I'll be waiting." Yvoire says.

"Have a good day, sir." I say, and we all turn and walk back to the exit. As we exit, I bump into someone who has a hood over their face. "Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I say, and the person shakes their head.

"No, the fault was mine, I apologize." They say in a voice that sounds female. She sounds familiar, but I ignore it as she walks past. I hurry to catch up to the group, which is waiting outside for me.

* * *

A little later, we find out that the carriage into the next town isn't running due to monsters being in the area it takes, so our only way to get there is to go through the dungeon. Since we didn't know where to go, Neptune decided to find someone who could help, and unsurprisingly she did. The girl Neptune talked to, apparently named Tekken, gave her a map and directions to the dungeon that leads to the town.

"I still don't understand how Neptune is so lucky with finding people to help… It's almost like she is a walking help magnet." Noire says as we arrive at the dungeon, causing me to laugh.

"Well, that's a new one, but I agree, it's strange. She does seem to have some crazy luck." I say, and Neptune jumps in the air.

"Come on, everyone! Let's clear the dungeon and reach the town!" She shouts, charging in. The rest of us follow her closely.

* * *

After a good amount of progress, we decided to take a break. While we were resting, someone approached us. Apparently, they were spreading the word of someone, or something, called Overlord Momus. He spent some time trying to convince us about joining, and even gave us many items that made it seem to just be there as a fun group to join. He left after a little while, and when we were looking at the stuff he gave us, one of the discs we were given started to shine.

"Ah crap! It's an Enemy Disc!" I shout as monsters spawn out of it, then notice that the other three discs are shining as well. "Crap! They're all Enemy Discs!" I shout again, and we are soon surrounded by monsters.

"Chris! Neptune! It's time for us to transform!" Noire shouts as she is enveloped by a pillar of light, leaving Black Heart in her place. Neptune transforms into Purple Heart as well, causing me to sigh.

"Well, no point in wasting time…" I say as I activate my HDD.

"Before anything else happens… **Elemental Protection!** " I shout in my deeper CPU form's voice. After I do, my body glows, and when it stops, I'm wearing a set of armor. The arms are flame red, the legs are water/ice blue, the helmet is green to represent air/earth, and my chest armor is electrical white. "Alright then, Faolan, attack!" I shout, and Faolan jumps over me and lands on a few of the enemies, killing them instantly.

"We need to deal with these things, then go back to the Basilicom to warn them. We don't need these things getting spread across the city." Purple Heart says, and I nod.

"Right. These seem to be normal trash mobs, so it shouldn't take too long. Let's deal with these quickly." I say, and with that we all charge at the monsters.

* * *

A while later, we return to the Basilicom. We easily took care of the monsters from the Discs, then destroyed them. Yvoire looks up at us in surprise, as if he wasn't expecting to see us back already.

"Oh, you're back already? Is something urgent the matter?" He asks, and IF nods.

"Very urgent. We met someone who claimed to be the messenger of Momus. He tried to get us to join them, and also gave us discs that create monsters." IF explains, and Yvoire's eyes go wide in shock.

"What?! Discs that make monsters?! Please, explain more about this." He says, and I nod. I then start to explain everything that we have discovered so far, which seems to cause him to go into a thinking state.

"To think that simple discs could be so dangerous…" He mutters, and IF nods.

"Yeah, everyone will be in danger if they're placed in the city. Could you help?" IF asks, and Yvoire nods.

"Yes, we can't have what happened in Lastation happen here… I shall inform Lady Green Heart immediately." He says, and then smiles. "As thanks, I would like to invite you all here to dinner tonight." He adds, and Neptune smiles.

"Mr. Evilitchi, you're the best! Can we stuff our faces with food?" She asks, and Noire sighs.

"That's not a very goddess-like thing to ask…" She says under her breath, and I chuckle a little.

"Oh, will the goddess be attending?" I ask, and Yvoire sighs.

"The Lady is very busy, so I cannot guarantee anything, but she may attend." He says, and I nod.

"Hopefully we can meet her." I say, and IF nods in agreement.

"Well, I need to prepare, so come back later when night has fallen." Yvoire says, and we all nod.

"Okay, let's just spend time in the city until then." IF says.

"If we have time, I want to go and reserve a place to stay tonight." Compa says, and I nod in agreement.

"Oh, I almost forgot, may I ask Miss IF and Mr. Chris to stay?" He asks, and I frown.

"The two of us?" IF asks, and he nods.

"Yes, there is something I need to discuss…" He says, and I nod to him, then look at the others.

"Go on ahead, we'll catch up later." I say, and they nod and leave. I turn back to Yvoire afterwards.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" IF asks.

"Before I go further, I'd like to confirm one thing from you, Miss IF. Despite your faith in our Lady, you are not from here, are you?" He asks, causing her to frown.

"What's it to you?" IF asks, and Yvoire continues speaking.

"In fact, you're not associated to any of the Lands. Correct?" He asks, and IF sighs.

"You ran a check on me, didn't you?" She asks, and Yvoire nods.

"You are correct, and I am sorry for my conduct here." He says, and IF sighs.

"I recall a rumor that the elder of the Leanbox Basilicom only accepts local citizens… Which I suppose is you. Do you plan to expel us?" She asks, and he shakes his head.

"Normally, I would take that approach, however, it is a good thing for our meeting. And Mr. Chris, I understand that you only appeared recently, and are also not from any of the Lands." He says, and I nod.

"That is correct, but I do not believe either of us follow you on what you want." I say, and he sighs.

"I see, straight to the point. Very well, I need you to kill Neptune." Yvoire says, and both of us flinch.

"W-What?! Why would Lady Green Heart's Basilicom want Nep killed?" IF asks, and Yvoire sighs.

"That girl brings a bad omen to our Lady and Gamindustri. Sooner or later, our Lady would take action, but I do not wish for her to do such a thing." He explains, and I sigh.

"Let me guess, you think that Neptune, my girlfriend, is the one causing the monsters." I say, and he nods.

"That is correct. We received information that she was the one who caused the destruction in Lastation, so we want her eliminated." He says, earning a laugh from me. "Pardon? I don't believe anything I said was funny." He says while frowning.

"I find it funny that you believe Neptune caused all that when it was really Avenir that caused it." I say, and he gives me a suspicious look.

"And may I ask why you say this?" He asks, and I nod.

"Well, for one, Avenir has taken over most of Lastation, and second, not only is Neptune my girlfriend, but she is also the CPU of Planeptune, Lady Purple Heart." I say, causing his eyes to go wide in shock.

"What?! She is Planeptune's CPU?!" He nearly shouts while asking, and I nod.

"Chris, are you sure we should tell him this?" IF asks, and I nod again.

"Yes, we should." I say to her, then turn back to Yvoire. "Also, the girl with the black twintails? She is the CPU of Lastation, Lady Black Heart." I say, and Yvoire slumps back into a seat and sighs.

"To think I let myself believe that they were followers of Momus… Thank you for stopping me from making a terrible mistake." He says, and I nod.

"I'm glad that you understand why it was wrong." I say, and Yvoire nods.

"As am I, now, Miss IF, please take this and dispose of it. It's a poison that was meant to be used on Neptune." He says as he hands a vial to IF. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get things prepared, not to mention the fact I have a lot to think about." He says, and he walks away.

"Well, good thing he called us, otherwise we would have been in a lot of trouble." I say, and IF nods.

"Yeah, it was a good idea to tell him their identities after all. Still, I wonder who gave him his information…" She says, then frowns.

"Eh, oh well, let's go find the exit again." I say, and she nods in agreement as we start walking.

* * *

"Why is this place like a maze in here?!" I ask as we walks around in the Basilicom. IF shrugs in response.

"I don't know, but maybe that door is the exit." She says, pointing at a door at the end of the hall.

"Well, let's try it." I say, and we walk up to the door. I push the door open and realize that it isn't the exit. In fact, it seems to be someone's room. The first thing I notice though is a girl sitting up on a bed, rubbing her eyes as she looks towards the door at us.

"It's so bright… Who are you? Bothering me when I was nice and relaxed here…" The girl says, and IF reacts first.

"Oh, sorry, we'll be out then." She says, but then her eyes go wide. "Wait, what?! L-L-Lady Green Heart?!" She questions, and I look at the girl again in surprise. So this is Green Heart's human form? Now that I think about it, it actually makes sense…

"Oh, my. Was that a girl's voice?" She questions as she stands and looks at IF. "My, I can't believe such a cute girl came to visit me!" She says, causing IF to get flustered.

"M-Me? Cute?" IF questions as the girl notices me in the doorway still.

"Hm? You look familiar, young man. Have we met before?" She asks me, and I sigh.

"Indeed we have, Lady Green Heart. We met back on Celestia, when you, Noire, and Lady White Heart ganged up on Neptune, or Lady Purple Heart, remember." I say, causing her to frown.

"I remember now… You said your name was Chris, right? So, what are you doing here in Leanbox?" She asks.

 ***Lily Rank Levels***

 **IF: 5 (Good Friends)**

 **Compa: 5 (Good Friends)**

 **Neptune: 9 (Lover)**

 **Noire: 9 (Lover)**

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 11! Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I decided to end it a little differently. So, our cast has arrived at Leanbox! Not only that, but they have learned about the people worshiping Overlord Momus. And apparently Yvoire was tricked into believing Neptune was evil, but Chris managed to alert him to how he was wrong. And finally, Chris and IF have met Lady Green Heart. What will happen next time? No one knows! Well, that's a lie, cause I know. But anyways, thank you all so much for reading, feel free to leave a review telling me what you think about it, and what I could do to make the story better. Also, feel free to PM me any questions you have, predictions of what will happen next, or even ideas for what can happen. Again, thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you in the next Chapter.**


	13. Chapter 12: Leanbox Shenanigans

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: Heya, readers! Neptune here! The author is currently in bed sick, so I'm doing this for him. Crazy, huh? Anyways, so this chapter should have new developments, for example, it will change perspectives later, so prepare for something neat. Anywhoo, enough of me talking here, let's get back to where we left off with Chrissie!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Leanbox Shenanigans!**

"So, what is it that brings you to Leanbox?" Green Heart asks, and I shake my head and sigh.

"If you think me and my companions are here to fight, you are wrong. We are actually here to assist however we can while searching for something called a Key Fragment." I explain, causing her to frown.

"While I don't mind the help, what exactly did you mean by "companions"?" She asks, and IF responds quickly.

"We are on a journey to find the Key Fragments with Neptune and Noire, two of the other goddesses." She says, earning a surprised look from Green Heart.

"Really? Those two are working together? That's a surprise, I never expected Noire to work with Neptune of all people…" She says, and I sigh again.

"It may possibly have to do with the fact that Neptune lost her memory…" I say, and she nods.

"That would make sense, but anyways, I just realized I haven't introduced myself yet. How careless of me. My name is Vert." She says, giving a slight bow. Now that I look at her, I notice she is wearing an elegant green dress that seems to emphasize her… ahem, rather large chest… _"No, Chris, stop looking there, it's rude."_ I think to myself while also mentally slapping myself. She has long blond hair and deep blue eyes, and seems to radiate an air of kindness. She, without a doubt, looks and seems like a goddess.

"Well, Lady Vert, as you know, my name is Chris, and this is IF. It's nice to meet you on more… pleasant terms." I say, and she nods.

"I agree, it's indeed nice to meet you without fighting. And IF, was it? Such a cute name fits such a cute girl. It's nice to meet you." Vert says, causing IF to blush.

"M-M-Me? C-C-Cute?" She stutters, and Vert smiles at her.

"My, your blushed face is just adorable. Well, would the two of you like to sit and talk for a bit?" She asks us, and I shake my head.

"IF may do so if she wants, but I have to go make sure that either Neptune isn't driving Noire insane, or that Noire isn't trying to strangle Neptune because she snapped. I doubt that Compa would know to stop them…" I say, and Vert nods in understanding.

"Very well then, what about you, IF? Will you stay and talk with me for a bit?" She asks, and IF nods, still blushing.

"S-Sure, why not?" She says, earning a smile from Vert.

"Well, I'll be going, then. Message me when you are on your way back, IF." I say, and she nods. I then walk out and message Compa asking where they are at the moment. After sending the message, I mutter to myself. "Now, to ask for directions to get out of here…"

* * *

About an hour to an hour and a half has passed when I arrived at the inn we were staying at. Finding a Basilicom worker took longer than I expected, and that cost me more than half of that time. Anyways, when I enter the room, I notice that only Compa, who waves at me as I enter, was in the room.

"Hey Compa, where are Neptune and Noire at?" I ask, and she laughs a little.

"Oh, Noire decided that she needed to go buy a special dress for dinner tonight, and decided that Nep-Nep was getting one too. Nep-Nep made it sound like they were going on a date though. Where's Iffy though, Arc?" She asks after explaining.

"Oh, she just met her idol, Lady Green Heart, and stayed behind to talk to her. Of course, that was after we found out that Yvoire was deceived into thinking Neptune caused the Lastation problem, but we cleared that up easily. And why am I not surprised that Neptune made it sound like a date?" I ask, and she laughs.

"It's just how Nep-Nep is, and also, it's great that Iffy met Lady Green Heart!" Compa says, and I nod in agreement.

"Yes, yes it is. Still, I hope Noire isn't getting too upset with Neptune right now…" I say, wondering what they are doing.

* * *

 ** _*Third Person POV/No one's POV*_**

Meanwhile…

"What do you think about this one, Neptune?" Noire asks, holding up a pretty, sparkling white dress to Neptune, who shakes her head.

"I like it, but it doesn't really seem like me, you know what I'm saying?" She says, and Noire just gives an angry sigh.

"Neptune, you have said that about every dress I asked you about. What are you even looking for?" She asks, and Neptune giggles.

"Well, to be fair, you've done the same thing with every dress I asked you about. And, like I said, I'm looking for something that would suit me. Oh! What do you think about this one, Noire?" She asks, holding up a green and blue dress.

"While it looks nice, I'm not a fan of green. And I guess you have a point, I am doing the same as you…" She says, sighing. There are at least thirty dresses behind her that she offered Neptune, who has about twenty or so that she offered Noire in turn.

"Well, there are plenty of dresses to go through, and we still have plenty of time before dinner. What do you think about this one, Noire?" She asks, holding up a dark blue dress with black trims and bands on it. Noire's eyes light up when she sees it.

"It's perfect! I'll go try it on!" She says, taking the dress and running back towards the changing rooms. She exits a couple minutes later wearing the dress. It seems to fit her perfectly, and the colors seem to suit her very well. She blushes as she stands infront of Neptune. "So… what do you think, Neptune?" She asks a wide-eyed Neptune.

"Holy cow, Noire! You look gorgeous in that dress! A total knockout!" She says loudly, causing Noire's blush to grow deeper.

"R-Really? You really think so? I-I mean, it's not like I really care what you think about it, idiot…" She says, then holds out a light purple, almost pink-like dress that seems rather simple looking. "I found this on the way to the changing rooms, what do you think, Neptune?" She asks, and Neptune smiles.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! A simple, yet cute dress. I'll go try it on." She says as she takes it and runs to the changing room herself. About a minute later, she walks out and stands infront of Noire, smiling. Just like how the other dress perfectly fit Noire, this one suits Neptune to a "T". It's like she had designed it herself. "So, miss tsundere, what do you think?" She asks, Noire stuttering while trying to answer.

"O-O-Oh my… I-I-It looks amazing on you, Neptune. It makes me happy that I found you that dress." She says, giving an embarresed smile.

"Alright! Let's go change back into our normal clothes and then go buy these! Afterwards, let's kill time together, after all, this is a date still." She says, causing Noire's blush to deepen.

"Wha- I mean, ugh, fine. We can make it a date. Now let's go, Neptune." She says, and they then both head towards the changing rooms again.

* * *

A few hours later, it barely being in the afternoon, the two of them are walking around a small park area, having a good time. They went to a movie, had lunch together, and were now eating ice cream while they walked.

"I have to say, Neptune, this was a very nice date. I'm glad I let you take me out." She says, causing Neptune to laugh.

"More like you're glad that I let you take me out dress shopping. But anyways, I enjoyed it myself, as well, so I'm glad you had a good time too." She says, causing Noire to blush.

"W-W-Well, it's only logical to look nice when you go to a dinner at another Basilicom. I'm just trying to make sure we make a good impression, alright?!" She says, causing Neptune to giggle again.

"Is that your only reason, or are you really just trying to impress Chris?" She asks, causing Noire to stare in shock.

"Wha… How did you figure that out?" Noire asks quietly, causing Neptune to shuffle in embarrassment.

"Well, that was one of the reasons I agreed to come with you for a dress. That is the second reason, though. The first was to be able to make it a date." She says, then looks up at Noire. "Oh, you have ice cream on your face. Here, I'll get it!" She says, reaching up towards Noire.

"Oh, really? Well, thanks I gue- Mmph!" She is cut off by Neptune pressing her lips against her own. Noire seems embarrassed at first, but then presses in. They stay that way for a few minutes before finally breaking apart.

"Heh, gotcha, Noire!" Neptune says with a smile, and Noire just sighs.

"I should be upset with you… but I'm glad you did that." She says, blushing slightly.

"Well, we are dating each other and Chris, but you and I were yet to kiss, so I just went for it." Neptune says, and Noire just smiles at her, brightly blushing.

"Jeeze, how in the world did I manage to fall for you? It really doesn't matter though, because what really matters is that… I… I love you, Neptune." She says shyly, and Neptune blushes and smiles at her.

"I love you too, Noire. I'm glad we went on this date." She says, and Noire nods in agreement.

"As am I, Neptune… Now, why don't we head back to the inn? We don't want everyone to worry, after all." She says, Neptune nods.

"You're right. Let's go!" She says as she starts walking, but stops shortly after. "Huh, what's Chris doing over there alone?" She asks, pointing at someone. As Noire looks, she notices that, indeed, it's Chris. He seems to be looking at the shops as he's walking.

"Huh, I don't know. Maybe he's out shopping?" Noire suggests, and Neptune shrugs.

"Hm, maybe, but whatever, let's head back, Noire!" She says as she starts running, and Noire starts running after her.

* * *

 _ ***Chris's POV***_

Meanwhile…

"Why is it so hard to find a shop that I can get a suit at?" I ask to myself, feeling a little annoyed. It seems like all these shops only have girl dresses, so I'm pretty confused. I wander for several minutes until I finally find a shop that sells suits. "Well, it's about time I find one…" I say to myself as I enter the shop. I wave to the shopkeeper and start browsing the shop. There are several different types of suits, and you can apparently even customize the colors of them. I spot a suit that I like, and smile when I see the color options. "Shopkeeper, I'll take this one." I say.

*No Changes to Lily Rank*

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, sorry for the delay people, Chapter 12 is rather short, but is finally done! So, I actually had started getting sick around Saturday, and was also bitten on the arm by a scared dog. Damn car horn spooked the poor guy. Anyways, so I'm feeling a lot better, and am able to write again. So, this chapter was actually somewhat of a filler chapter. Also, Neptune and Noire went dress shopping and then went out on a date! It took them long enough. I actually had a difficult time figuring out how to do this chapter, and finally decided on a change of perspective. Let me know what you think about it. Also, I receive a request to go into detail about how the CPU Memory even got in this dimension, so if more people are interested in that, let me know and I'll explain it in a chapter. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, feel free to leave a review about what you like and what could be improved. Also, feel free to PM me about anything, from suggestions, to predictions, or even just to talk. Anyways, thank you so much for reading, and I will see you all in the next Chapter.**


	14. Chapter 13: Dinner, Incident, Reunions

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: Alright, so I'm back. Sorry about delay on this chapter, I was enjoying my week off of school resting, but I guess it's time I have made a new chapter. Also, I've been doing some research about the original versions of the HDN games, and I am really starting to wish Nisa was in the Re;Birth games. She seems like a very awesome character. Alright, time to get back on track, so now we shall get started with the Chapter! I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Dinner, Incident, and Reunions**

After picking up the new suit, I went back to the inn. As I walked back towards the inn, I started thinking about Neptune and Noire, wondering how their dress shopping went. I can't picture Neptune, of all people, in a dress, and Noire most likely went as fancy as she could. I'm also thinking about what they will think about my new suit. I honestly hope I look good in it for them. As I arrive at the inn, I hear Neptune's voice talking. She seems to be talking to IF, which means she returned. I knock on the door to the room, just to be safe.

"Who is it?" I hear Compa ask.

"It's me. Is it safe for me to enter?" I shout back. Last thing I need to do is walk in on them changing…

"Oh, come in, Chrissie! It's all clear!" Neptune shouts back, and I open the door. As I enter, I see Noire and Neptune sitting on a bed, Compa in the chair, and IF is standing in the center of the room.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." I say, and they shake their heads.

"No, you're not interrupting anything, Chris. In fact, we were about to start changing to head to the Basilicom." Noire says, and I nod my head.

"I see. I'll go into the other room to change. Afterwards, I'll meet you at the Basilicom." I say, and they nod.

"Okay then, Chris. We will see you there." IF says, and with that I walk into the other room and close the door. I then lay out the suit I purchased and start changing.

* * *

About a half hour later, I arrive at the Basilicom. I notice that I am the first of the group to arrive, so I sit down in a chair near the entrance. I look down at the suit I am wearing. It is a light shade of green for the pants and the outer piece of the suit, with an undershirt that is a light blue that matches my hair color, and a red tie. I honestly think I look weird, but I like this look for my suit. My long hair is slicked back and lays flat. I feel nervous as I wait for the group. I honestly hope that Noire and Neptune think it looks good. As I am thinking to myself, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I look up and see Neptune standing there with Noire behind her. My jaw drops when I see their dresses. Neptune's simple but pretty light purple dress seems to fit her perfectly, and looks as though it was made specifically for her. Noire's black and blue dress looks prim and elegant, and is a perfect style for her. When Neptune notices my expression, she laughs and looks at Noire.

"Well, I'd say we got the right dresses. His reaction was priceless!" She says, earning a laugh from Noire, who then looks at my outfit.

"While I'm not a huge fan of green, I have to say, the suit is defiantly you. It looks good on you." She says, earning a blush from me.

"T-Thank you. You two look amazing as well. You are both very beautiful." I say, causing them to both blush.

"Well thank you, Chrissie! I'm glad you like the dresses. We actually picked out each other's dress." Neptune says, and I smile.

"Well, you guys did a great job picking out dresses. Now, shall we head to dinner?" I ask, holding out my arms. They both take an arm and nod.

"Yes, let's head over there." Noire says, and we then walk towards the dining room.

* * *

As we arrive at the dining room, I see Compa and IF sitting at the table already. The two of them are in their normal outfits, making me feel that the three of us are overdressed. As we walk up to the table, they notice us and wave.

"There you are, Nep-Nep, Arc, Noire!" Compa says. I smile and wave back to them.

"Well, you three sure took your time." IF says, and we shrug in response. I lead the girls to their seats, then head to my own. After I sit down, I noticed that there is already a lot of different foods. I also notice that Neptune is drooling in anticipation. I chuckle at the look on her face. Yvoire walks out towards us as we start to dig into the food. He then asks us how we are enjoying the food.

"It's pretty good, sir. Thank you for inviting us." I say, earning a smile from him.

"I agree with Chrissie! I'm digging this food!" Neptune says.

"I am pleased to hear that. Our chefs are the best in all of Leanbox, so it should be that way." Yvoire says while smiling. Then he looks at me with a more serious face. "But anyways, Mr. Chris, thank you for alerting me to the mistake I was about to make." He says to me, and I smile and nod at him. As I begin to respond, however, I hear the sound of metal hitting a plate. I look back and see that Noire dropped her fork and her hand was twitching, with her other hand on her throat.

"Noire…?" I start, looking worried. She seems to be breathing still, but her actions are scaring me. When she looks at me though, I notice a look of terror in her eyes as she tries to stand, but falls over on the ground. **"NOIRE!"** I shout as I stand from my seat and rush over to her. She is on the ground and is out cold. I put my hand on her head and notice that she is burning up. IF and Yvoire both rush up behind me, with Neptune and Compa behind them.

"Miss IF, I thought you disposed of the poison!" Yvoire says, and IF nods.

"I did! I threw the vial into a fireplace, then burned the liquid!" She says, and I shake my head.

"That doesn't matter! IF, go find Lady Vert! Maybe she can help us with this!" I say, and she nods and runs off. I lift her upper half up and hold her there, and grab her hand. "… Please hang in there, Noire… Please…" I say, tears forming in my eyes. Neptune has moved to my side and is crying as well. IF soon comes running back with Vert right behind her.

"Yvoire, what happened here?" She asks, and he stands up straight to respond.

"Lady Green Heart, apparently someone managed to poison the food on Lady Noire's plate. I'm not quite sure how it happened." He explains to her, and she nods in understanding.

"I see… Chris, bring her to my room. Neptune, you and your friends can come with us if you wish." She says, a serious look on her face. I nod to her, then pick up Noire off the ground and carry her bridal style to Vert's room, Neptune and the others shortly behind me.

* * *

"So, any good news yet, Lady Vert?" I ask, as she is typing away on her keyboard.

"Yes, thanks to the people of Leanbox, there is great news. Apparently a monster in the forest has an item that is needed to make a cure. We will have to slay the monster for it." She explains, and Neptune jumps up.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's goo- hey!" She shouts as I grab her hoodie as she runs past.

"You all will stay here and keep an eye on Noire. I will handle this myself." I say, my voice sounding emotionless.

* * *

 ***Neptune's POV***

"What are you talking about, Chrissie?! We need to work together!" I say, honestly confused as to why he would insist on going on his own. He isn't even looking at me.

"Because Noire is already down, and I don't want to see you or the others get harmed as well." He says in the same emotionless tone.

"Chrissie, you are not the only one who cares about her, remember? We should all be working together to save the ones we care about!" I shout at him, and he finally looks up at me, and I gasp when I notice his eyes are glazed over and his expression as emotionless as his voice was. "W-What happened to you, Chrissie?" I ask him, and he sighs.

"I've already lost everything from my past… I can't lose what I have now, too." He says, rising to his feet. Suddenly, a light flashes and he is replaced with his CPU form, Sage Heart.

"W-What?! He's a CPU?!" Vert shouts in surprise, but everyone ignores her.

"What do you mean by that, Chrissie…?" I ask quietly, and he sighs again.

"Histoire informed me that, because I am now a CPU, I can never return to my own dimension. That means I will never see my friends or my family again. As first, I wasn't going to let it bother me, but now, with what happened to Noire, the full realization of what it means hit me with the force of a meteor. I… I'm scared. Scared of losing any one of you, the friends and loved ones, I have left. So please, remain here where it is safe, and let me handle this." He says, causing us to gasp in surprise. He then proceeds to walk out of the room. After he is gone, I collapse to my knees.

"But… Chrissie… Did you even think about what would happen if we lost you…?" I ask quietly, with no one able to hear me.

* * *

 ***Chris's POV***

As I am flying away from the Basilicom, I notice my wristband glowing. I tap it and a screen pops up. The screen reads _**"New Activation Skill: Limit Breaker (CPU Timer). Only one Limit Breaker skill can be active at a time."**_ I scroll down to the skill, and notice the old one now says **"Limit Breaker (EXP Gain)"** I tap the new one, and the description reads _"Extends the time limit you can maintain your CPU form indefinitely. However, for every hour after your current time limit, you lose a set amount of Experience levels. Use this skill wisely."_ I sigh, then read the other one. _"Increases the EXP gained by a massive amount. However, it drains the time limit for your CPU form while active in a dungeon. Use wisely."_ I deactivate the EXP gain one and activate the CPU Timer one. I am level 80 now, so it shouldn't hurt too much. I close the menu and then continue my way to the forest.

* * *

A few hours later, I'm arriving at the midpoint of the dungeon. I have killed several monsters already, but there is no sign of the one I am searching for. It is most likely deeper inside the dungeon, but that doesn't mean a guy can't hope to find it easier.

"Well, I guess I should keep pushing forward. Still, I have this uneasy feeling… Like I'm being watched…" I say to myself, but shrug it off and continue my way through the dungeon. After killing a few more monsters, I feel something touch my back and instantly regret not looking into why I felt like I was being watched.

"Turn around slowly, and tell me who you are, and where I am." A voice says. _"No way… It can't possibly be…"_ I think to myself, then turn around and see the person aiming a gun at me.

"…Mike? Is that you?" I ask, causing him to flinch in surprise.

"H-How the hell do you know my name?!" Mike questions, and I laugh for the first time in a while.

"Well, to answer who I am and how I know you, well, just watch." I say, then deactivate my CPU form. After the flash of light it caused clears, his jaw drops in shock.

"No way… Chris?! What are you doing here? Me and Ron were trying to contact you for several weeks now!" He shouts, and I look at him in surprise.

"Several weeks? It's only been about three weeks that I've been here…" I say, and he shrugs.

"Eh, must be a different passage of time here. Speaking of here, where are we?" He asks.

"Well, Mike, we are currently in Gamindustri, more specifically Leanbox, the land ruled by Lady Green Heart." I explain to him, and he sits down on a rock, looking tired.

"You're kidding me… We're inside the game?" He asks, and I shake my head.

"We may be inside the world the game takes place in, but we are not in the game." I say, and he nods.

"Makes sense… So, mind explaining what happened during the time you were here?" Mike asks, and I nod.

"Sure thing, it all began when I was gifted the game…" I then proceed to explain all the events that took place up until now, from the battle on Celestia, to meeting Histoire, to when I swallowed the CPU Memory, and even the fight against Arfoire. I hesitate, then explain what happened in Lastation, from the fight with Black Heart, to me confronting her in her human form that same night, to the trap by Avenir, along with the fight against the robot, and the confessions. Then I explain everything that happened here in Leanbox, from the Overlord worshipers, to stopping Yvoire from poisoning Neptune, to meeting Vert, to Noire getting poisoned, and finally ending where we are now. After hearing my story, Mike puts his hand to his head.

"So, let me get this straight… You swallowed a stone that turned you into a CPU, you not only managed to get Noire to stay with your party, but you, her, and Neptune are now all dating, you stopped Yvoire from poisoning Neptune, but Noire ended up getting poisoned instead, and now you're here, alone." He recaps, and I nod.

"It's… one hell of a tale, I know. But it's the truth." I say, and he nods.

"I believe you. Still, I'm surprised you have two of the goddesses as your girlfriends. Well done, man!" He says, then stands. "So, you're looking for the monster that has the item needed for the cure?" He asks, and I nod.

"Yes, I believe it is deeper in the dungeon." I say, and he smiles.

"Well then, why don't we continue on together? With the two of us, we should be able to get there faster." He suggests, and I nod and smile.

"Alright then, Mike. Good to have you in the party. Let's push forward!" I say, transforming back into Sage Heart, and we both start moving deeper into the dungeon.

* * *

A little later, we finally reach the end of the dungeon. We also notice that the monster was, indeed, here at the end.

"Well, let's take care of this, and then we will be able to save Noire!" I say, and Mike nods. He then aims his rifle and fires several three-round bursts into the monster. I charge at it with _Rakari_ out and slash at it a few times, but get knocked away. "Alright, that's it… Now I'm angry! **Blazing Retribution!** " I shout, my sword transforming into its flame form and igniting, and I charge and slash at it several times before ending with a stab, which causes the monster to go up in flames.

"Did that do it?" Mike asks, and I shrug. Suddenly, the monster charges out and rams into me at full speed, sending me flying. The thing looks nearly unharmed, and my CPU form deactivates when I hit the wall.

"What the…?" I start to question, and then notice my band is flashing. I tap it and notice that my level has lowered all the way to 16. "Oh damn it… Looks like I was too cocky…" I say as the monster starts to charge at me again. I brace myself and hope that I survive.

"I don't think so! **Critical Edge!** " I hear a voice shout from above, and I watch as the monster is thrown into the air and then slammed into the ground, and it bursts into data as it dies. I fall to the ground, and notice Purple Heart flying towards me, with Mike running behind her, before I pass out.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, Chapter 13 is late, but complete. So, a lot has happened this chapter. Also, it would seem that Chris's suit is rather… colorful… But anyways, so, somehow Noire was poisoned! Oh no! It seems that was the last straw needed to break Chris after learning he wouldn't ever be able to return to his dimension. However, surprise! Mike has appeared in Gamindustri! I'll put a character description for him on my profile later. Now, there will be more of those Limit Breaker skills appearing later. They are roughly based off of Fire Emblem Awakening's Limit Breaker skill, but each has their own bonuses and drawbacks. This way Chris stays somewhat balanced. When he loses his levels, he loses the stats as well. The skill will drain random amount of levels at a time, so it would seem its description lied to Chris. And as a result, he is now passed out after Neptune saved him. What will happen next time? Only time will tell. Anyways, feel free to leave a review about what you liked and how I could improve the story. I always appreciate suggestions, and may use some of them. Also, feel free to PM me with predictions, ideas, requests, or even just to talk. Finally, shoutout to AIFY Productions for his story 'Hyperdimension Neptunia: A Dimensional Trip'. I absolutely love your story so far, and am looking forward to seeing more from you, so keep up the great work man! Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you all in the next Chapter, which will hopefully be up later this week.**


	15. Chapter 14: Not Again

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: I… really don't have anything to say this time. 11k views with fifty-something followers and fourty-three favorites?! (Those two might have the numbers swapped around) I'm flattered that so many of you are interested in my story! Seriously, I actually started writing this to be able to clear my head while in class when I lose focus, so knowing that people enjoy it just makes me happy! Thank you all SO much for all your support up to now! And don't worry, I've been reeding everyone's reviews, and I have to say, I may actually use some of your ideas. I'll give credit to whoever it is I use the ideas from. Anyways, on a side note, if you guys have any interest in Rosario+Vampire storys, one of my good friends has started writing one. He's still working on his first chapter, but hey, when you are doing it on a phone, it takes a good while. As soon as he finishes and posts the first chapter, I will post a link to the story on my profile. (If I am able to, that is.) He's had me read through what he has so far, and with the exception of the minor grammar issues, it is actually pretty good. Anyways, time for me to start the chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Not Again…**

As I open my eyes, I realize that I'm in the darkness of my mind still. When this happens, Histoire is usually here to talk to me.

"So, I noticed you brought Mike into this world. Should I be expecting any more surprises?" I ask the nothingness, and I hear Histoire's giggling in response.

"Yes, I did bring him here. I also brought a few others you know to this world. I figured it would be the best way to make up for you not being able to return home. If I was wrong, I'm sorry." She says, and I chuckle in response.

"Histoire… Thank you. You have no idea how much metter you just made me feel. After Noire was poisoned, I had realized just how few friends and loved ones I still had. It… devastated me, and nearly cost me my life. Just knowing that I will meet a handful of them again in this world brings me great relief. So, again, thank you, Histoire." I say, earning a sigh of relief from her.

"Thank goodness, I was worried that you were going to be upset that I brought some of your friends and family into this world, but it seems I was worried for nothing." She says, and I shrug.

"Well, most of them can actually handle themselves, so it's not a huge problem. Anyways, I would actually like to know if you have any idea how the CPU Memory inside me got to this dimension." I say, and I hear her sigh.

"Currently, all I have are theories. According to my research, they are spawned from things called Memory Cores, or something similar to that, every few hundred to thousand years. After it spawns, if it is not used or harvested within a couple weeks, it will warp to other dimensions every few weeks. The one you swallowed just happened to appear there as you pulled your sword from the ground, so it was a freak chance that it happened. But remember, this is only a theory, because we have no complete data about these CPU Memories. It came from one of the many other dimensions of this world, so it is unknown which one specifically it could have come from." Histoire explains, and I put my hand up to my head due to it processing what I just heard.

"So wait, there are multiple different dimensions of this world?" I ask, and she sighs.

"Yes, but for now, we are not going to worry about those. I fear that Arfoire beat you to Vert and took her CPU abilities already, which means you will need to defeat her to get Vert her powers back." She says, causing me to grimace.

"Well, that is going to be a bit more difficult than you think. The Limit Breaker skill I had activated lowered me from level eighty to level sixteen. I underestimated how many levels it would take from me per hour." I say, causing Histoire to giggle again.

"Well, it's a good thing one of your Limit Breakers massively increases your gained experience, so you should level up and get back to that level rather quickly." She says, and I nod in agreement.

"So, back to the others, I take it they are scattered around the lands?" I ask.

"That is correct, Chris. You might find one more here on Leanbox, and the rest in the other landmasses. So be sure to keep looking for them." She says, and I nod.

"Alright, I will. I take it that is all you needed to inform me of?" I ask.

"You're correct. It's time for you to wake up now." She says, and I smile.

"Very well, I will talk to you later, Histoire." I say as the darkness turns bright again.

* * *

As I wake up, I notice I am in Vert's room again. I look around and notice Neptune is sitting in a chair right next to me, and Noire is still in the bed. I also hear sniffing coming from Neptune, and realize that she is crying, possibly because of me. I sit up on couch I was laying on and look at her.

"Hey, Neptune, please don't cry. It makes me feel terrible when you do that." I say, and her head bolts upright at the sound of my voice. Her eyes are watering, and she struggles to speak.

"C-C-C-Chrissie?! You're awake! Thank goodness, you're awake! I was so worried." She shouts as she throws her arms around me. I smile at her and kiss her on the top of her head.

"Yes, I'm awake and alive, thanks to you. If you didn't arrive when you did, I probably wouldn't be here anymore… I won't try to play the hero anymore if I can help it." I say, holding her in my arms. I then look over at Noire. "How's she doing?" I ask Neptune, who sighs and pulls away a little.

"We managed to make the antidote and give it to her, so we are just waiting to see if it actually works." She says, and I smile and nod.

"That's a good thing, considering you got her to take the antidote. So I guess we wait now. I take it you met Mike already?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Yeah, he's an interesting person, that's for sure. I guess it's a good thing we have someone who has a ranged weapon now, though." She says, earning a laugh from me.

"That is very true. But anyways, why don't you go tell the others that I'm awake. I'll keep watch on Noire while you're away." I suggest, and she nods, gives me a quick kiss, then exits the room. I smile at her as she exits, then move next to Noire. I take her hand in my own and feel her forehead. It's no longer burning up like it was before, but she still wasn't awake. "Noire… Please wake up soon, okay?" I whisper to her, knowing that she most likely wouldn't hear me. However, I am surprised by her hand squeezing mine, and her eyes slowly opening. She blinks a couple times, then looks at me and smiles.

"Hey Chris. What happened?" She asks quietly, and I smile back at her.

"You were poisoned. If it were not for Lady Vert helping us make the antidote, I don't think you would have survived." I say, and she sighs.

"Figures that I owe her my life… I guess there could be worse things to happen." She says, earning a laugh from me.

"That's for sure. I'm just glad you're alive though, Noire. I was so worried when you collapsed like that…" I say, my eyes starting to water. Suddenly, Noire sits up and wraps me in a hug, catching me by surprise.

"Don't worry, Chris. I won't die that easily. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, I know that you and Neptune will do everything in your power to save me should I be in need of saving. But anyways, I'm fine now. No need to worry anymore." She says quietly, and I smile. We separate slightly, then move closer until our lips meet.

"See, I told you he's-" Neptune's voice follows the sound of the door slamming open, causing me and Noire to jump back in surprise.

"Damn it, Neptune, don't you know to knock before opening doors?" I ask, and she laughs nervously while scratching the back of her head.

"Eheheh… Sorry, I didn't know that Noire would be awake as well, let alone that you two were making out." She says, causing Noire to blush brightly. I then notice that the rest of the group is there as well.

"My, oh my! I didn't know that you and Noire were a thing!" Vert says, then starts giggling. I get the feeling she is planning something…

"Well, actually, it's Chris, Noire, and Neptune that's a thing. And maybe next time you should lock the door, Chris." IF says, and I facepalm at the logic behind that.

"Iffy is right, Arc. However, you did just wake up, so I understand that you weren't thinking." Compa says, and I sigh.

"Well, I'll be damned, he wasn't joking… I'm impressed, man!" Mike says, causing me to hang my head.

"Alright, alright, I get it! Anyways, Lady Vert, are you able to transform into your CPU form still?" I ask, catching her by surprise.

"Before I answer that, may I ask why you are asking?" She asks, and I nod.

"Reasonable enough. You see, while I was out, I spoke with Histoire, who mentioned that someone had beaten us to you and has stolen your powers. Is this true?" I ask, and she sighs in response.

"I see… Yes, it is true. The person who did it was the same one who gave Yvoire the poison Iffy disposed of. An evangelist from Lowee named Conversation." She says, looking rather upset.

"I understand. I suggest that we send someone out to hunt for this person so we can get your powers back." I say, earning a smile from Vert.

"Well, the good thing is I'm already a step ahead of you. I've already sent out a few people to search, including one of my more trusted guards." She says, surprising me.

"Ah, that's good. Hopefully we find her soon." I say, and everyone else nods in agreement. Suddenly a loud beeping sound echos, and everyone looks around. "Was that a bomb, or a phone?" I ask, feeling a little worried. Everyone pulls their phones out to check.

"It was mine. The enemy was spotted heading to Lowee. We should hurry before they get there." Vert says while typing a message on her phone. I look at Noire, who is now standing.

"Are you well enough to fight, Noire? I don't want you to push yourself too much." I say, and she rolls her eyes at me.

"I'm fine, I can fight again. And besides, the pot shouldn't be calling the kettle black, Chris." She replies, earning a laugh from everyone in the room.

"Heh, fair enough, Noire. So where is the enemy, Vert?" I ask, turning back to her.

"It would appear that they are in the mountain range. Let's head out and get there quickly." She says, and I nod.

"Alrighty then, group! Let's go!" Neptune says, running out of the room, leaving the rest of us to try to catch up to her.

* * *

About an hour later, we arrive at the entrance of the mountain range dungeon. Mike arrives last, trying to catch his breath.

"How… The hell… do you… keep up… that pace?" He asks while panting, earning a shrug from us.

"Maybe you're just out of shape?" I suggest, and now it's his turn to shrug. I look into the dungeon and frown. "I can feel the presence of the enemy, and it seems familiar, but I'm also picking up a far more familiar presence… I wonder who it is…" I say under my breath, then shrug it off. I tap my wristband, go to my skills screen, and turn on Limit Breaker (EXP Gain+), which deactivates the (CPU Timer) version automaticly "Well, let's move on in!" I say, entering the dungeon, everyone else following behind me.

* * *

About an hour to an hour and a half later, we finally reach a clearing. My level has increased back up to level 40, while the rest of the party was around the early thirties in levels. As we look around the clearing, I notice a cloaked figure being blocked by a smaller figure. As we approached the two, the smaller figure notices us and runs towards Vert. As it gets closer, I manage to make out their features. They look like… Wait… Is that a girl wearing a pig mask?! I sigh internally and just put that into the pile of the other crazy things that I've seen or had happen to me since I arrived here. Anyways, the girl throws her arms around Vert when she reaches her.

"Lady Vert! Ran-Ran's scared of the mean old lady!" She cries as Vert rubs her head.

"It's alright, Ran-Ran. I'll protect you from the old lady." She says, causing the cloaked woman to shake in rage.

"For the love of- will you stop calling me old?! I'll destroy you where you stand!" She shouts, causing me to laugh.

"Y'know, Arfoire, you really need to learn to take a joke." I say, causing her to flinch.

"H-How did you…?" She starts, and I just shake my head.

"Your voice kinda gives you away. Not to mention your reaction to being called an old lady." I explain, and she shakes her head as she… I guess she removed a spell, based on how her look just vanished in smoke quickly and is replaced with her normal appearance.

"I must say, I'm impressed your memory is able to remember my voice and how I react to being called old. I'm also surprised to see the Goddess of Lastation here. This makes my job easier. I'll defeat you all and take your powers as my own!" She says, and I sigh.

"Since you're so eager to fight, I guess we have no choice. But before we begin, I must ask you something. Was it you who poisoned Noire's food at the Basilicom?" I ask, causing her to frown.

"I was aiming for Neptune, as I had been when I gave Yvoire the vial of poison. It would seem that I got the wrong person, but that doesn't matter, considering how she is cured." She says, and I nod.

"I see, so either way, you were targeting someone I love. Well, in that case…" I say as I transform into my CPU form, Noire and Neptune following in suit. I draw _Rakari_ from its sheath and point it at Arfoire.

"While I appreciate that you were honest with me, which is very unusual for an enemy, the truth is still the fact you targeted and poisoned one of the people I care about the most. So now I can go all out without any guilt!" I say, then charge at her while she summons her lance and does the same.

"You need to learn when you should just die!" She shouts as she unleashes a flurry of stabs with her lance. I manage to parry a few of them, but most manage to connect and injure me, causing me to grunt in pain.

"It would seem I underestimated you, Arfoire. Elemental Protection!" I shout, and my body is incased in the colorful elemental armor. However, this time, a dark aura surrounds me, increasing my power. "Noire, Neptune, I need you two to hold her off for a bit. Mike, Compa, use your ranged attacks! IF, Vert, attack however you want!" I shout, and they all nod. Mike and Compa start firing their weapons at Arfoire, Mike with his rifle, and Compa with her syringe.

"Come on, Neptune, let's hit her with our skills! **Lace Ribbon Dance!"** Black Heart shouts, slashing at Arfoire several times, and ending by kicking her towards Purple Heart.

"You got it, Noire! **Critical Edge!** " She shouts, slashing Arfoire once, then flinging her up into the air and slamming her back into the ground. As she gets back up, IF and Vert charge at her and unleash a flurry of attacks on her. While they are attacking, I summon Faolan, who morphs to look like a slime version of a wolf.

"Alright, Faolan, use your acid breath on her!" I shout, and Faolan barks in response while running towards Arfoire. Once in range, he lifts his head, breathing in, then lowers it as he breaths his acidic breath at her. She yells out in pain, but dodges back and throws her lance at Faolan, who is hit and sent flying into the cliffside. "Faolan, no!" I shout, then glare at Arfoire, my dark aura growing even darker. "That's it, you asked for it!" I say, then move my sword to be pointing up into the sky. As I do, the area around us begins to grow darker. Arfoire notices this, and looks around.

"What the hell is this?!" She asks, but no one responds to her.

 _ **"Darkness that drives away the light, I summon you! Bring an end upon this world and end the reign of the light that has banished you! End this as it began, with darkness! Fallen Dragon's Strike!"**_ I chant, my wings changing into that of a dragons, and my sword transforming into a huge fang and absorbing the darkness. I then charge at Arfoire and stab her several times with the fang, which reverts after the last strike, along with my wings. She screams in pain as she collapses to her knees. I point my sword at her as she attempts to stand. "Now, give Lady Vert her powers back, and leave." I say, then frown when she starts laughing.

"What, do you really think you have won? The real battle is just about to start! After all, I still have her power!" Arfoire says as she pulls out a shining green gem. Before we can do anything, however, she is engulfed by a pillar of light, and when it fades, Green Heart is in her place.

"Crap, she can use the goddess's power…" I mutter as I prepare to attack again. The rest of the party forms up behind me.

"Heh, it's time for you to feel my wrath thanks to my new power! Sylhet Spear!" She shouts, summoning a strange glyph in the air. The glyph then shoots out a rather large spear that hits several of us, then explodes, sending us flying in different directions. I am sent flying into the wall, my Elemental armor shattering as my HDD deactivates, and fall to the ground. I hear the others scream in pain, and as I look up, I see Neptune and Noire on the ground, their HDD deactivated. I then notice everyone else collapsed on the ground, injured.

"No… I can't let her win…" I say as I struggle to stand. Arfoire looks at me as if she is amused.

"Oh, still kicking, eh? I guess I'll finish you off first!" She yells as she rushes at me. I try to lift my sword to block, but realize quickly that I won't be able to do so in time, so I close my eyes and brace for the attack. However, the attack never reaches me as I hear the sound of metal hitting metal.

"You know, Chris, I thought I taught you not to rely on your anger in a fight…" A familiar voice says, and I open my eyes. The first thing I see is a yellow katana blocking the lance. My eyes go wide in shock when I notice who is wielding the weapon.

"M-Master?! Is that you?!" I ask in shock. The tides have turned in our favor.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, Chapter 14 complete! If you guys paid attention to the backstory of Chris, you should easily know who it is that saved him. Anyways, so now we know one of the many possibilities that could have caused the CPU Memory to appear in the Hyperdimension… Well… THIS Hyperdimension, that is, as Histoire said. But anyways, so Noire has awoken and is cured of her poison, so that's a plus. Also, Mike will get his character information uploaded later. Speaking of characters, Mike and Ron are actually named after my late grandfathers, who I miss dearly. Just figured I'd mention that. Anyways, so Chris now has aura generation from his armor! So there is currently only one aura that we know the effects of: "Dark Aura: The stronger the feeling of hatred and anger for the enemy is, the stronger your attacks become, but has a high chance to lose control." Anyways, I would have had this chapter uploaded two days ago, but my mother was sent to the ER, and I was too stressed to finish and upload this. But everything is fine now. She might be coming home today, so that's good. Anyways, thank you all so much for reading. Feel free to leave a review with ideas, what you liked about the story, and what you think I could do to improve it. Also, please, PM me with any suggestions, requests, theories, or even just to talk. Again, thank you all so much for all your support and for reading, and I'll see you again in the next chapter.**


	16. Chapter 15: Master and Pupil

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: Alright, I am so very sorry for the delay, but finally it's time to kick off Chapter 15! Again, thank you all for all your support up to this point. I think I said this once before, but I plan to go at LEAST up to the second game. With that being my goal, I can already tell this story will take a long time. Eh, it's worth it, though. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

 **Also, as a side note, if you play Cards Against Humanity on Pretend You're Xyzzy, keep an eye out for the user CPU_Sage_Heart, that will be me. I'm putting this in here because I actually met someone who reads this on that game, so figured I'd let you all know.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Master and Pupil, and Back to Planeptune Again**

"M-Master?! Is it truly you?!" I ask again as he knocks the lance away and kick Arfoire, who is still using Green Heart's power, back. He looks back at me with a small smile on his face.

"Next time you decide to go to another world to help save it, at least let me know before you leave. You nearly caused your mother and I a heart attack, vanishing like that." He says, then frowns. "Also, didn't I teach you to not use your negative emotions to fight? What caused you to do that?" He asks, causing me to sigh.

"Arfoire poisoned one of my girlfriends, and, well, she admitted to having been aiming for one of them, but got the other by mistake. Still, the fact she targeted either of them… Made me snap…" I explain, earning a smirk from him.

"I understand now, and I don't blame you, but we will have to speak later about these girlfriends of yours." He says, causing me to groan. He looks back at Arfoire, who just retrieved her spear, with a serious expression on his face. "Well Chris, how about you try to focus some more positive emotions in your fighting this time? When you do, we will deal with this enemy together. I'll hold her off while you do so." He says, then sprints towards Arfoire, leaving me to try to focus on my emotions.

"I'm trying to focus on positive emotions, but all I feel is anger toward her right now…" I mutter to myself, then look at Neptune and Noire. "Wait a minute… that's it!" I say, focusing on the emotion that has just reemerged. When I do so, my body's pains start going away. Soon, I feel fully restored and smile. **"Elemental Protection."** I say, causing my armor to reappear, this time with a white aura radiating from me. My master looks back at me and smiles.

"That's more like it, son…" He says softly as he blocks another strike from Arfoire. I rush over to them quickly, causing her to look at me in surprise.

"Impossible! How could you have recovered so quickly?!" She questions, and I just smirk at her.

"Love is quite the mysterious power, that's for sure." I say simply, earning a look of confusion from her. I sigh as I point _Rakari_ at her. "It doesn't matter. It's time to end this battle!" I say, and my master stands next to me and points his blade at her as well.

"I agree, let's show her the power of a swordmaster and his pupil!" He says, and with that we begin to dash around her, slashing at her as she attempts to block and attack us, but fails.

"This is the end… **Twin Dancing Blades!** "

"Let's finish this! **Twin Dancing Blades!** " We both shout as we slash at Arfoire with inhuman speed, so fast that she has no chance to block a single strike. She screams in pain as we deal the final slash, sending her flying into the Cliffside wall. After she falls from the wall to the ground, she reverts back to her normal form, the gem bouncing away from her. I snatch it up before it gets too far away and pocket it. I then notice Arfore rising to her feet. I quickly dash towards her, holding my blade at her throat.

"Yeah, no, I don't plan on letting you get away this time. We're going to take you in for questioning." I say to her, then give a look of confusion when she smirks.

"Like I would let you people question me. I'm leaving." She says, and with a flash of light she is gone. I sigh as I sheath _Rakari_. As I do, I hear the sound of something solid hitting the ground. I look down and see… A Key Fragment?! "Huh, Arfoire must have dropped it when she vanished…" I think to myself as I pick it up and pocket it as well. The sound of someone groaning from behind me catches my attention. I look back and notice Neptune trying to get up off the ground.

"Check on the others, Master. I'll make sure the goddesses are okay!" I shout as I rush toward Neptune. I look back at him and see that he is already helping someone. I reach Neptune and notice she is trying to sit up, so I help her slowly sit up, causing her to look up at me.

"… Chrissie? Is that you?" She asks quietly, and I smile and nod.

"Yes, it's me, Neptune. You're safe. Arfoire's gone, so everything's okay." I say, and she smiles at me.

"That's good… The only problem is that we are all badly hurt, so I think we have to rest here for a while." She says, causing me to frown.

"I'll see what I can do, Neptune. Give me a minute." I say, then I tap my wristband and check my skills. Sadly, there was nothing listed for healing abilities, so I decide to check the items. As I scrolled down the list, I noticed something labeled as "Potion?" which was odd that it was questioning it. I check its information, but all it said was "A potion from another world. Nothing else is known about this item." "Huh, curious." I think to myself, and decide to try using it. I hit use on it, and the menu closes as the potion appears in front of me. I open it, and it seems to explode in a purple smoke. Surprisingly, I actually feel fully recovered though. I look around and notice the others trying to get up. "Wow, that was one hell of a potion." I say to myself right before I'm tackled by Neptune.

"Jeeze, Chris! Whatever you did, it worked amazingly!" She says cheerfully, causing me to smile.

"I'm glad it did. I honestly had no idea what it was or what it would do." I say, earning an astonished look from everyone. "What? What did I do wrong?" I ask, then feel something hit me in the face, knocking me to the ground.

"Why would you use an item if you didn't know what it would do!? I don't care if it worked, you should be more careful!" I hear Black Heart's voice yelling at me. I look up and see her standing over me, staring at me with an angry expression on her face.

"N-Noire? W-What are you doing?" I ask, feeling a little scared. She reaches down, grabs my shirt, and yanks me up onto my feet, her expression softening.

"You're lucky that I love you. But that doesn't mean you aren't still an idiot." She says, then immediately pulls me closer and kisses me. I notice that it feels different than it does when she is in her other form, but I guess that's to be expected. We separate soon after, and I notice a smile on her face. "That was a reward for saving us." She says, letting me go. I smile and chuckle a little.

"Well, thanks, but I couldn't have done it without the help of my master." I say, pointing back at him. Black Heart and Vert give me a confused look, but everyone else look at him in shock.

"Wait, "Master"? Then, does that mean…?" Neptune asks first, surprisingly.

"That I'm the one who trained and raised him most of his life? That is correct." He says, walking up to us. "My name is Matthew MacDuncan, the adoptive father and Master of Chris MacDuncan. It's good to meet all of you." He says, giving a small bow.

"Well, it's great to be able to meet you! My name is Neptune, and these are Noire, Vert, IF, and Compa." She introduces everyone, pointing at them when she says their name. Remembering something, I reach into my pocket and pull out the green gem.

"Oh, by the way Vert, you might be wanting this." I say, tossing her the gem. She catches it, then smiles when a green aura appears around her.

"Ah, it's been too long since I felt this power last…" She says as she transforms into Green Heart. After the light fades, we hear something hit the ground. We look and notice that IF fainted, and has a small nosebleed.

"Well, someone likes your CPU form a lot, Vert." I say, earning a giggle from her.

"Indeed, but, of course, it is my dear Iffy, so of course she loves my goddess form." She says, looking at IF with lust in her eyes. I lightly bonk her on the head when I notice this. "Oww, what was that for, Chris?" She asks.

"Save the naughty thoughts for later, Vert." I say, and Neptune nods in agreement.

"Yeah Vert, the author would prefer if this story didn't become M rated!" She says, shattering the fourth wall for the… Never mind, I lost count how many times she has done this. Vert blushes and smiles at this.

"I guess you both can easily read me when it comes to what I want." She says, earning a small laugh from me. "But enough of that, what do you all plan to do now?" She asks, and Noire sighs.

"Well, since we didn't find another Key Fragment, we're most likely going to head back to Planeptune, then to Lowee." She says, and I open my eyes wide and start digging in my pockets. The others notice this and give me a strange look.

"I almost forgot, Arfoire also dropped this." I say as I pull the Key Fragment out and show them, causing them to gasp in surprise.

"T-T-That is…" Noire starts to say.

"A Key Fragment? That's right." I say, then pocket it. "I'd say we should return to a safer location and wait until everyone is awake before Histoire contacts us. What are you going to be doing, Vert?" I ask her, and she sighs.

"Sadly, I cannot join you all. I have a huge amount of work that I need to get to, and it will take me some time." She says, then smiles. "However, I will come to visit on occasion to see my dear Iffy, so I'll be working on everything more than usual." She says, and we all nod.

"Well, I guess it is time for us to go, so I guess I'll carry IF since I don't think she is going to wake up anytime soon." I say as I pick her up off the ground. Neptune pouts at this.

"Nepu… I want to be carried by Chrissie!" She says, and I smile.

"Maybe next time, Neptune. Are you coming with us, Master?" I ask Matthew, and he laughs.

"What, you think I'm going to let you out of my sight when you are risking your life? Because I sure as hell don't. So yes, I am coming with you." He says, and I smile.

"Alright then! We are heading out! Let's move team!" Neptune shouts while running ahead. The rest of us groan as we run after her.

* * *

So it has been about a day since we returned from Leanbox. You would think that it would have been longer, but…

"Vert, quit trying to smother IF! I thought you were supposed to be doing work back in Leanbox." I say while watching her hugging IF to the point that IF's face is in her chest.

"Well, I was, but I couldn't resist the urge to come see my dear Iffy anymore!" She says with a huge smile on her face. "Besides, Yvoire and Ran-Ran can handle it on their own, I'm sure of it." She says, and I swear to god I just heard a scream of terror or two coming from the direction of Leanbox. It would seem that Neptune noticed it as well.

"Uh… Ignoring the far away screams of horror, does that mean you're joining our party?" She asks, earning a smile and nod from Vert.

"That is correct. I just cannot stand being separated from my dear Iffy any longer, so I am joining you to be able to stay close to her." She explains, and I chuckle in response.

"Well, there are worse reasons. In any case, it's good to have you with us, Lady Vert. The more Goddesses we have with us, the better." I say, and she frowns.

"Ah yes, that reminds me… How are you able to transform like us? I've never heard of a male CPU, let alone seen one." She asks, and I sigh.

"Here, let me explain. You see, it actually started not long after Neptune and I fell off of Celestia…" I explain to her exactly what happened that caused this, from the swallowing of the CPU Memory, to my first transformation while fighting Arfoire. After I finish explaining to her, she nods in understanding.

"I see… You became a CPU because of a stone you swallowed by accident… Well, there are crazier explanations I suppose." She says, then gasps as my pocket starts glowing. "Wait, what's that?" She asks, and I pull out the Key Fragment that was in my pocket, which is now glowing.

"Oh, is that you, Histoire?" I ask the Key Fragment.

"Yes." Histoire's voice speaks from the fragment. "It's good to speak to you all again, along with speaking to you for the first time, Green Heart." She says, and we all nod.

"So this is Histoire?" Vert asks, and I nod to her.

"Yes, I am using the Key Fragment to speak with you all, but I don't have much time, so I will be quick. I need to alert you about Arfoire's true power. It is the power to copy the abilities of someone else." She explains, causing me to sigh.

"So basically, that means that even though we got Vert's power back, Arfoire still has a copy of it?" I ask, and I hear Histoire sigh sadly.

"That is correct. This also means that you should be careful. We don't need her obtaining the power of either of the three other CPUs in the group." She says, and we all nod in agreement.

"That is obvious. We really don't need her to gain any of our abilities, especially Chris's. He has so many powerful skills, that if Arfoire somehow copies them, we're doomed." Noire says, and the rest of us nod in agreement.

"Indeed, so we must hurry to acquire the last full Key Fragment. All I know about its location is that it's in Lowee. You'll have to make contact with White Heart and then locate the Fragment. That's all the information I have for the group." She says, before gasping. "I almost forgot, I'll need to speak to you in private later, Chris. It's nothing major, but I'd like you to know about this soon." She says, and I nod.

"While I'm a little confused, I understand. Guess it will be another sleep chat." I say, and Histoire laughs in response.

"That could have been phrased a little better, but yes. Anyways, my time has ru… ..careful of… foire…" And with that, the voice cuts out. Neptune stands up after the Fragment goes quiet.

"Alright then! Let's all head off to Lowee!" She says, but before she moves, Matthew clears his throat.

"What is it, Master?" I ask him, and he smiles.

"While I agree that we should move out as soon as possible, I think it would be a better idea to get a couple days of rest. After all, we were all in a major fight, and were nearly defeated, so rest is what we need at the moment." He says, and I nod in understanding.

"That makes sense. After all, it was a very close fight, so I guess a couple days of rest would be good." I say, and everyone else nods in agreement.

"Well, since we have a lot of time left in the day, I'm going to stock up on supplies!" Compa says, and I nod.

"That's a good idea, Compa. We will need more items most likely, so I agree." I say, and she goes to leave the room.

"I'll be back later everyone!" She says as she leaves the room. Both Matthew and Mike stand up next.

"We're going to explore the city for a while. We'll be back later." Matthew says, and they both exit the room.

"Hey… Neptune, Chris… Would you two like to… go out on a date together? I mean all three of us together. I-I mean, it's not because I want to or anything, I just thought you would both like to." Noire says, going completely tsundere again.

"Hey, I'd love to, Nowa! And I'm sure Chrissie would, as well!" Neptune says, and I laugh slightly before nodding.

"Neptune is right, Noire. I'd love to go out with both of you. I mean, come on, you two are my girlfriends. Why wouldn't I want to go?" I say, earning a blush from both of them. "Anyways, what was it you wanted to do with us, Noire?" I ask, and her blush becomes more pronounced.

"W-Well, actually, there is another convention going on today, and I was hoping that you guys would want to attend it with me." She explains, and I smile at her.

"Ah, that sounds nice. I'll go, but I'll have to change first." I say, and then notice Neptune's eyes have narrowed and she has a smirk on her face.

"Wait a minute… Nowa, are you into cosplay?" She asks, earning a sigh from Noire.

"Yes Neptune, I am. And it really doesn't matter if you don't like it. After all, everyone has their own likes and dislikes." She says, and Neptune looks shocked.

"What? No, I'm just surprised that our serious Nowa likes cosplay. It's actually nice to know you are not stuck in serious mode." She says, causing Noire to blush again. "So yeah, I'd love to go as well, but I don't have anything to change into…" She says, and Noire smiles.

"That's alright, I think I may have something you can wear. Chris, if we are not out by time you finish changing, we'll meet you by the fountain we met at on our last date." She says, and I nod.

"Alright, let's go to our rooms and change." I say, and we head to our separate rooms.

* * *

About a half hour later, the two of them arrive at the fountain. Noire is dressed up as… I think a singer, while Neptune is dressed up as a witch. The look on her face makes it even more adorable.

"I feel ridiculous…" She says, and I pat her on the back.

"Don't worry, Neptune. You look adorable." I say, and she smiles and looks up at me.

"Aww, thanks, Chrissie. Maybe this isn't so bad after all…" She says, then I look at Noire.

"As for you, Noire, I think you look stunning in that outfit." I say, causing her to blush again.

"T-T-Thanks, Chris. You really do look good in that outfit yourself. It was a good purchase." She replies, and I smile and hold out my arms.

"Shall we head over to the convention, then?" I ask, and they nod and each take one of my arms. We then proceed towards the convention's location.

* * *

A few hours later, we finally leave the convention area. I swear, these goddesses are expensive. I mean, they had me buy them ten things each. _"These two sure are lucky that I love them…"_ I think to myself. As we are walking back, we hear a loud roar, followed by three more roars. After that, we hear what sounds like someone screaming in pain. We look at each other and nod, then run in the direction the scream came from. As we arrive at the location, I notice someone surrounded by four mobs. Usually, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, however, these monsters were actually Ancient Dragons.

"What in the…?! Four Ancient Dragons in the same place at the same time? That's unheard of!" Noire shouts, and I sigh. After she says that, one of the dragons vanishes into data, showing that the person, now identified as a male, was unarmed. However, no matter how strong he is, he was unable to defend as the remaining three dragons attacked him at the same time, sending him flying into a tree next to us. Without thinking, I charge at one of the dragons, drawing _Rakari_.

"You two pick a dragon each and attack it! I'll handle this one!" I shout, and they both nod and transform. I look at the one I'm facing and snarl. "Alright, you damn fool, time to teach you a lesson. **Shattering Elements!** " I shout, _Rakari's_ blade changing to be multicolored as I slashed at the dragon several times, each strike seeming to break pieces off of the dragon, until I unleash a final, powerful downward slash on its head, smashing it into the ground and shattering it. The dragon's remains soon vanish after. Shortly after, the other two dragons are defeated and vanish. We quickly move towards the person who was knocked into the tree. He's alive, but out cold. What's odd is that he's wearing clothing showing that he was a part of the military from my world, more specificly the Army.

"Chris, do you know this person?" Noire asks, and I shake my head.

"I've never seen him before in my life, however his outfit looks like something that would be seen in my world." I say, frowning.

"Well, we should take him back with us and get Compa's help. What do you think, Chrissie?" Neptune asks, and I nod in agreement.

"Alright, but I'll need one of you guys to help me carry him." I say, and Noire nods and with her help we lift the person up and start carrying him towards Compa's home.

* * *

After we return, Compa assists us with the person we brought and begins to patch him up. After a few minutes, she tells us that he won't wake up for the rest of the day, at the very least. I look around and notice that it's only the three of us that are here.

"Where's everyone else?" I ask Compa.

"Well, Lady Vert dragged Iffy away a few hours ago, while the other two have not messaged us." She says, causing me to sigh.

"Damn it, Vert…" I mutter under my breath. "Well, I'm going to head to bed. Good night, everyone." I say as I walk to my room.

"Good night!" The three of them chant. I enter the room and close the door, then just fall on the bed and pass out. The same old darkness surrounds me.

"Ah, there you are, Chris! I was waiting for you." I hear Histoire's voice say.

"Hello Histoire, how are you doing?" I ask, and hear her giggle.

"Well, all things considered, not too bad. Thanks for asking." She says, then her voice turns serious. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure you are wondering what it is that I needed to speak with you about, correct?" She asks, and I nod.

"Yes, I am rather curious about what it is that happened." I admit, and I hear her sigh.

"Well, this will be rather difficult to explain, but I'll try to explain it. We were contacted by another Hyperdimension." She says, earning a look of surprise from me.

* * *

 **A/N: Annnnd Chapter 15 is done… On a cliffhanger?! Eh, I actually want to use the next chapter to (attempt to) explain what Histoire was talking about. Anyways, so Chris's father/master has joined the party, Green Heart is back (and may or may not be doing M-Rated things to IF), another Key Fragment was found, Chris went out with both Neptune and Noire this time, and they save an unknown person! I'm pretty sure at least one of you may know where this is going. Anyways, thank you so much for reading, feel free to leave a review telling me what you think and how I could improve the story. Also, feel free to PM me any ideas you may have, and depending on what they are, I may or may not use them. Also, feel free to PM me with requests, what you think, or even just to talk. Anyways, once again, thank you so much for reading, and I shall see you all in the next Chapter.**


	17. Chapter 16: Other Hyperdimensions!

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: Alright, time to kick off Chapter 16! I really have nothing to say other than thank you SO much for the continued support. I had just meant this as a way to have something to do, but it has become so much more now. I hope that I will be able to keep this story going. As of the last time I checked, the story is at 66 followers and 56 or so favorites, with nearly 15k views! So, again, thank you for all your support. Now, let's get to the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Other HyperDimensions?!**

"We were contacted by another HyperDimension." Histoire says, causing a look of surprise to form on my face.

"Wait, what? When did this happen?" I ask, and she sighs.

"It was actually a few days ago. The Histoire from this Hyperdimension that contacted me is apparently attempting to connect to other dimensions, for what reasons, I do not know. However, she had asked if I could help her transport you into their dimension." She explains, and I frown.

"While I would love to visit another dimension to see the differences to this one, I still have a job I need to do here. We still need to remove the seal on you still, after all." I say, and she giggles a little.

"Yes, that's what I told her. She then came up with the idea to make a copy of you in their dimension, just less powerful. With me still being sealed, I was only able to use half of my power to do so, but it would seem that we were successful." She explains, and I sigh.

"So there is another version of me running around in another dimension… That just seems strange…" I say, and she sighs in response.

"I have to agree with you there, Chris. It was… odd, to say the least, speaking to another me. But anyways, apparently, when we made an alternate version of you in that dimension, an alternate version of the first person they brought to that dimension appeared in ours. The only reason I know that this happened is because you just rescued said person." Histoire says, and I frown.

"You mean the guy in the army outfit? I thought there was something strange about him…" I say.

"Yes, that would be him. When he wakes up, he would be an excellent addition to your party. After all, someone who can survive fighting four Ancient Dragons at once is someone to be reckoned with." She says, and I nod in agreement.

"That's for sure… Anyways, let me know if you are contacted by another HyperDimension again. It would be nice to have a bit of warning." I say, and she giggles.

"I understand. Now, another thing I wanted to talk to you about is for when you go to Lowee." She says, and I sigh.

"Lady White Heart's land… I'm honestly a little worried about what she will do to me when she sees me…" I say, earning a sigh from Histoire.

"White Heart is… Someone who will easily go off if you annoy her, or cause her problems. Otherwise, she is usually rather calm and quiet. Though, even I don't know what will happen when she sees you again." She says, and I sigh again.

"Alright, so just try to get on her good side and stay there is pretty much what I have to do… That shouldn't be too bad, but you never know what will happen." I say, and hear a sigh from Histoire as well.

"Indeed… I wish I could help you more, but as long as I am sealed, that is going to be difficult. So, for now, I wish you good luck. I will leave you to it now." She says as the light floods in.

* * *

My eyes slowly open, and as my blurred vision focuses, the first things I see is both Noire and Neptune have snuck into my bed and are asleep on either side of me. At first, I begin to panic, but then I realize that they are both still somewhat clothed. This calms me down a little, because, well, who the hell would want to have their first time without knowing what happened or by being forced to? I smile at the sight of the two of them, looking so peaceful and adorable. With some difficulty, I manage to get out of bed without waking either of them. After that, I toss on a fresh set of clothes and walk out into the main room. I check on the man who, if Histoire is correct, is a copy of someone from another dimension. It seems that he is still out, so that's a little disappointing. I walk past, heading towards the door, when I hear what sounds like someone grunting and struggling. I turn to face where the sound came from, and notice the man trying to sit up. I rush over towards him and attempt to help him.

"Easy there, dude! We don't want you to injure yourself more after that triple Ancient Dragon incident." I say, and he nods as we manage to get him sitting up correctly.

"Where… Where am I?" The man asks.

"You are at Compa's apartment. Me and my friends saved you from three Ancient Dragons after you killed the fourth one, and we brought you here because you were out cold." I explain, and his eyes shine in recognition at Compa's name.

"Compa…? This is her place? It suits her." He says, then flinches when he looks at me, surprised. "Wait, Chris?! It would seem that I was saved by you again… Thanks for that." He says, and this time it's my turn to flinch in surprise.

"Wait, how do you know my name? And what do you mean 'Again'?" I ask, and he frowns.

"You saved me about a week or two ago, then we met again in front of the Leanbox Basilicom, remember? It's me, Garland." He explains, and realization suddenly hits me.

"Oh, I think that means you were saved by the version of me that our two Histoires created to transport to your dimension. Yeah, you're actually in my dimension currently, so welcome." I say, causing a look of shock to form on his face.

"I'm in another dimension?! How did happen?" He asks, and I shrug.

"I have no clue, Garland. If I did, I would tell you." I say, and he sighs.

"Can… Can I speak to your Histoire then? Maybe she can explain it to me." He asks, and I shake my head.

"While I would love to let you talk to her, she is currently sealed, and we have two and a half of the Key Fragments needed to release her seal. Until we do that, I am the only one able to speak with her unless we find a Fragment, and those only let us all speak to her for a short amount of time." I explain, and he frowns.

"Wait, you just said that you are able to speak with her. So why don't you?" he asks, earning a sigh from me.

"I am only able to speak to her when I am out cold or asleep. It's some kind of mental link." I explain, and Garland sighs this time.

"I see… I guess I will have to wait a while for answers then… Well, while I'm in your dimension, I guess I'll help you with finding the Fragments." He says, and I smile.

"Great! We could use all the help we can get, so it's great to have you with us, Garland." I say, holding out my hand. He takes my hand and shakes it.

"Great to be with you, Chris. I look forward to seeing what the real you can do." He says, and at that moment, Neptune and Noire both enter the main room, earning a look of surprise from Garland. "Wait a moment, are the two of them a couple in this dimension?" He asks me while whispering. I give a sheepish look and scratch the back of my head.

"Well, actually… the three of us are dating each other." I say, causing Garland's look of surprise to become even more surprised.

"No way. All three of you are together?" He asks, and I just nod. He gives a small laugh. "Dude, I bet Neptune drives you insane." He says, and I laugh a little at that.

"Indeed she does, but I've gotten used to it, so it's not that bad." I say, and he nods in understanding.

"Uwaaah… Good morning, Chrissie." Neptune says, her eyes still half closed. Garland snickers when he hears Neptune's nickname for me.

"Morning, Chris." Noire says, seeming to actually be somewhat awake. She notices Garland after a moment. "Oh, so he's already awake." She says, and I nod.

"Good morning you two. And yes, you are correct Noire. Our guest woke up not that long ago." I say, and Garland salutes to them.

"I am PFC Garland, and apparently I am from a different dimension, so I guess I should say that it is nice to meet you." He says, and the room is silent for a few moments.

"WAIT, SAY WHAT?!" They both shout loudly.

* * *

A couple hours later, because of having to start over because people kept entering the room mid-story, I finally finished explaining what had happened.

"Hmm… You know, with how you and your friends appeared, I really shouldn't be surprised." Noire says, and everyone else nods in agreement.

"Yeah, I mean, coming from another dimension isn't much different from coming from another world." Neptune says, surprising me with her actually using logic.

"Well, it would seem that we have a new party member at least, so that's good." IF says, and I nod.

"Oh, by the way Garland, what type of weapon do you usually use?" I ask him.

"Usually I use a rifle. I'm not sure how well I would do with other weapons." He says, and I nod.

"Well then, we will go get you a weapon before we head to Lowee. By the way, what is Lowee like?" I ask the group.

"They call Lowee "The Land of White Serenity." It is always snowing there…" Vert explains, and I sigh.

"Alright, we're picking up warm clothing as well. Let's head out." I say, and we all walk out of the room towards our next objective.

* * *

 **A/N: And that is a wrap. I am SO sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. I went on a cruise for a few days, then decided to take the rest of my Winter Vacation as a break. And then this happened. Anyways, So we learned about the alternate HyperDimentions this chapter, and also learned that the person our heroes rescued was Garland! What a shock! And he is also joining the group! Party Member get! So now we are going to get equipment and then head to Lowee! Oh boy! I have a hard enough time writing lines for Noire, because I need to try and get her tsundere persona down correctly. Writing Blanc's emotionless-but-easily-pissed-off personality is going to be even more difficult. Anyways, thank you so much for reading, feel free to leave a review or PM me with suggestions, requests, or even just to talk. Also, be sure to go check out AIYF Productions story "Hyperdimension Neptunia: A Dimensional Trip". It is a GREAT story and he is a great guy to talk to. Anyways, again, thank you so much for reading, and I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	18. Chapter 17: The Swordman's Birthday!

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.**

 **A/N: Oh my goddess, I am SO sorry for taking so long to update this story. I've been suffering writers block and I have been swamped with school work, and nearly forgot this story. Anyways, let's do this. Chapter 17 is going to start soon. Before we get started, I'd like to thank everyone for all the great support you have been giving me. It really makes me more motivated to continue writing, which is actually a very good thing. You guys are all great! Anyways, it's time to get Chapter 17 started!**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: A Swordsman's Birthday!**

"So wait, I thought you said last chapter that we were heading to Lowee?!" Neptune asks, confused.

"Well, in our world, it's actually Chris's birthday, so we're getting ready to throw a party." Mike says, with everyone else in the background running around.

"Wait, so where did Chris go?" Garland asks when he approaches.

"Oh, we sent him and ol' Lonely Heart out together on a date. I told Noire that I'd contact her when she should bring him back." Neptune explains.

"Ah, I see. Good to know. So what do you need me to do next, Mike?" Garland asks.

"Here, I'll explain." Mike replies, and they walk away.

* * *

"You know, I was a little surprised when you asked me out today, Noire. But hey, it gives me something to do, and I love going out with you and Neptune." I say, and Noire blushes.

"W-Well, it's not like I invited you out because I wanted to. I just didn't want to be alone, and Neptune was busy." She says, going full Tsundere again.

"Heh, well, I love being with you, so I'll keep you from being alone." I say, causing her to smile.

"Well then, let's go shopping! I want to get your opinion on some dresses!" She says, and I grimace at this.

 _'Oh boy, this isn't going to be an interesting day…'_ I think to myself.

We proceed to go by several dress shops, with Noire asking me "Hey, how do you think would this one look on me?" Or "Do you think Neptune would look good in this?" Eventually, we end up walking by a jewelry store. Noire stops me and says "Look, as thanks for carrying everything I'm getting, I'll let you pick out something here for yourself." I look through the store, and am about to leave when something catches my eye. A steel necklace with three rose charms on it. "I like this." I say, holding it up. Noire examines it, looks at the price, then smiles.

"I'm surprised you want something so cheap." Noire says. I shrug.

"I'm usually cheap when it comes to accessories." I say. We buy the necklace and I put it on. We walk through several more stores, buying more stuff, when I notice a light green cloak that seems to be a good fit. I walk over, take it off the hanger, and try it on. "Hey Noire, what do you think?" I ask. She turns around, and looks in surprise.

"Holy crap, that looks really good, Chris." She says, and I smile.

"Well then, we found a winner." I say as I go to the counter and purchase the cloak. I pull the hood up as we continue to walk around together. Eventually we end up at a café eating together.

"So, Noire, how are you doing?" I ask her.

"I'm fine, but what about you? You've been carrying all of those bags." She says, and I shrug.

"Eh, it's not that bad." I say, and she sighs.

"Honestly… Why don't you just store them on an inventory disc?" She asks.

"I like being old fashioned sometimes." I say. Noire opens her mouth to speak when her phone beeps at her. She takes a look, then looks at me.

"It's Neptune. She needs out help with something at the apartment." She says.

"Then let us go." I say, paying for the food. We then head back to the apartment.

* * *

When we arrive at the apartment and open the door, the first thing I notice is that all the lights are off.

"Neptune? You in here?" I shout into the room. Suddenly the lights all blaze to life, causing me to protect my eyes from the sudden light.

"SURPRISE!" I hear several voices shout. When I open my eyes and look, I notice everyone surrounding the entry way. The entire room is decorated. 'Wait… what's going on?' I think to myself as Neptune leaps onto my back.

"Ahaa! Happy Birthday, Chris!" She says, and I freeze.

"Wait… Oh holy crap, I completely forgot today was my birthday!" I say, facepalming.

"Heh, well, lucky for you, me and Mike here didn't forget." Matthew says as he approaches me. "Nineteen years old… You really make your old man feel like an old man."

"Yeah, if only we knew where Mother was…" I say.

"Ah, don't worry, we'll find her. Now, let's start celebrating!" Matthew shouts, which is met with a roaring "YEAH!"

Several hours later the partying still hasn't died down. Vert, Mike, IF, and Matthew are all drunk. I, refusing to drink yet, walk outside onto the balcony.

"Hey Chrissie, enjoying your party?" Neptune asks as she walks up to me.

"Could be far worse. Besides, I love drunk people. They are always hilarious." I say, and Neptune laughs.

"Yeah, Iffy and Vert are hilarious when they are around each other while drunk. Anyways, I like your new look. It really suits you, Chrissie." She says, and I smile.

"Thanks. I really liked it myself." I say.

"Hmm… It's a nice night, right Chrissie?" She asks, and I nod. "Hehe, I look forward to continuing our adventures." She says.

"Indeed, they will be pretty fun." I say. She then turns towards me then kisses me. _'Heh, and I will love every moment of our adventures.'_ I think to myself.

* * *

Miles away, in a cold cave in Lowee, lights blaze on in an unusual structure. A computer beeps on inside and the screen is filled with code.

 _ **Project Infinity Omega**_

 _ **Subject: Akuro, K.**_

 _ **Status: Active**_

 _ **Mission Objective:**_

 _ **Locate the new CPU.**_

 _ **Mission Status: In Progress…**_

* * *

 **A/N: And there we have it! Chapter 17! You expected the Lowee episode? Nah, Birthday episode. I figured since my own birthday hits in three days, I might as well have Chris celebrate his today. Anyways, as you can see, I have changed Chris's look a bit, and now he should look similar to my profile picture. Anyways, as you can tell by that ending, someone new is coming into play. This person is an online friend of mine who I RP with and I asked for his permission to use his character, which he gave me. Anyways, thank you all SO MUCH for waiting, and I will see you all in the next chapter.  
P.S. Sorry for it being so short.  
Edit: Minor changes made, had made a mistake with something.**


	19. Announcement!

Announcement!  
I'm not dead! Don't worry, I'm not done writing. I've just been having several issues with my devices, for example, my 3DS won't have the screens come on anymore, and I have absolutely no clue what happened, thus preventing me from continuing the file I made for the Fire Emblem story. As for the Neptunia story, I somehow managed to accidentally delete the saved file for that game that I used for it, so now I have to get back there and do a crap ton more grinding. But don't worry! Until I get things working again or back to where I am in the stories, I will instead use game play videos to figure out exactly where everyone is, and how to change things to work different in the stories. Hopefully, I will have the next chapter for one of these done by next week. Thank you all for understanding, and I will see you next time!


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